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Wu Y, Zhao M, Deng H, Wang T, Xin Y, Dai W, Huang J, Zhou T, Sun X, Liu N, Xing D. The neural origin for asymmetric coding of surface color in the primate visual cortex. Nat Commun 2024; 15:516. [PMID: 38225259 PMCID: PMC10789876 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44809-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/17/2024] Open
Abstract
The coding privilege of end-spectral hues (red and blue) in the early visual cortex has been reported in primates. However, the origin of such bias remains unclear. Here, we provide a complete picture of the end-spectral bias in visual system by measuring fMRI signals and spiking activities in macaques. The correlated end-spectral biases between the LGN and V1 suggest a subcortical source for asymmetric coding. Along the ventral pathway from V1 to V4, red bias against green peaked in V1 and then declined, whereas blue bias against yellow showed an increasing trend. The feedforward and recurrent modifications of end-spectral bias were further revealed by dynamic causal modeling analysis. Moreover, we found that the strongest end-spectral bias in V1 was in layer 4C[Formula: see text]. Our results suggest that end-spectral bias already exists in the LGN and is transmitted to V1 mainly through the parvocellular pathway, then embellished by cortical processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujie Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA
| | - Minghui Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Haoyun Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Tian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
- College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Yumeng Xin
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Weifeng Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Jiancao Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Tingting Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Xiaowen Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Ning Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Dajun Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
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2
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Liu XH, Gan L, Zhang ZT, Yu PK, Dai J. Probing the processing of facial expressions in monkeys via time perception and eye tracking. Zool Res 2023; 44:882-893. [PMID: 37545418 PMCID: PMC10559096 DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2023.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Accurately recognizing facial expressions is essential for effective social interactions. Non-human primates (NHPs) are widely used in the study of the neural mechanisms underpinning facial expression processing, yet it remains unclear how well monkeys can recognize the facial expressions of other species such as humans. In this study, we systematically investigated how monkeys process the facial expressions of conspecifics and humans using eye-tracking technology and sophisticated behavioral tasks, namely the temporal discrimination task (TDT) and face scan task (FST). We found that monkeys showed prolonged subjective time perception in response to Negative facial expressions in monkeys while showing longer reaction time to Negative facial expressions in humans. Monkey faces also reliably induced divergent pupil contraction in response to different expressions, while human faces and scrambled monkey faces did not. Furthermore, viewing patterns in the FST indicated that monkeys only showed bias toward emotional expressions upon observing monkey faces. Finally, masking the eye region marginally decreased the viewing duration for monkey faces but not for human faces. By probing facial expression processing in monkeys, our study demonstrates that monkeys are more sensitive to the facial expressions of conspecifics than those of humans, thus shedding new light on inter-species communication through facial expressions between NHPs and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-He Liu
- Shenzhen Technological Research Center for Primate Translational Medicine, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Lu Gan
- Research Center for Medical Artificial Intelligence, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Zhi-Ting Zhang
- Shenzhen Technological Research Center for Primate Translational Medicine, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Pan-Ke Yu
- Shenzhen Technological Research Center for Primate Translational Medicine, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ji Dai
- Shenzhen Technological Research Center for Primate Translational Medicine, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China. E-mail:
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3
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Jin Y, Song D, Yan Y, Quan Z, Qing H. The Role of Oxytocin in Early-Life-Stress-Related Neuropsychiatric Disorders. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10430. [PMID: 37445607 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241310430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Early-life stress during critical periods of brain development can have long-term effects on physical and mental health. Oxytocin is a critical social regulator and anti-inflammatory hormone that modulates stress-related functions and social behaviors and alleviates diseases. Oxytocin-related neural systems show high plasticity in early postpartum and adolescent periods. Early-life stress can influence the oxytocin system long term by altering the expression and signaling of oxytocin receptors. Deficits in social behavior, emotional control, and stress responses may result, thus increasing the risk of anxiety, depression, and other stress-related neuropsychiatric diseases. Oxytocin is regarded as an important target for the treatment of stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders. Here, we describe the history of oxytocin and its role in neural circuits and related behaviors. We then review abnormalities in the oxytocin system in early-life stress and the functions of oxytocin in treating stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Jin
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Da Song
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yan Yan
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Zhenzhen Quan
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Hong Qing
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
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4
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Behrmann M, Avidan G. Face perception: computational insights from phylogeny. Trends Cogn Sci 2022; 26:350-363. [PMID: 35232662 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2022.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Studies of face perception in primates elucidate the psychological and neural mechanisms that support this critical and complex ability. Recent progress in characterizing face perception across species, for example in insects and reptiles, has highlighted the ubiquity over phylogeny of this key ability for social interactions and survival. Here, we review the competence in face perception across species and the types of computation that support this behavior. We conclude that the computational complexity of face perception evinced by a species is not related to phylogenetic status and is, instead, largely a product of environmental context and social and adaptive pressures. Integrating findings across evolutionary data permits the derivation of computational principles that shed further light on primate face perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlene Behrmann
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Galia Avidan
- Department of Psychology, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
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Yokoyama C, Autio JA, Ikeda T, Sallet J, Mars RB, Van Essen DC, Glasser MF, Sadato N, Hayashi T. Comparative connectomics of the primate social brain. Neuroimage 2021; 245:118693. [PMID: 34732327 PMCID: PMC9159291 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Revised: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Social interaction is thought to provide a selection pressure for human intelligence, yet little is known about its neurobiological basis and evolution throughout the primate lineage. Recent advances in neuroimaging have enabled whole brain investigation of brain structure, function, and connectivity in humans and non-human primates (NHPs), leading to a nascent field of comparative connectomics. However, linking social behavior to brain organization across the primates remains challenging. Here, we review the current understanding of the macroscale neural mechanisms of social behaviors from the viewpoint of system neuroscience. We first demonstrate an association between the number of cortical neurons and the size of social groups across primates, suggesting a link between neural information-processing capacity and social capabilities. Moreover, by capitalizing on recent advances in species-harmonized functional MRI, we demonstrate that portions of the mirror neuron system and default-mode networks, which are thought to be important for representation of the other's actions and sense of self, respectively, exhibit similarities in functional organization in macaque monkeys and humans, suggesting possible homologies. With respect to these two networks, we describe recent developments in the neurobiology of social perception, joint attention, personality and social complexity. Together, the Human Connectome Project (HCP)-style comparative neuroimaging, hyperscanning, behavioral, and other multi-modal investigations are expected to yield important insights into the evolutionary foundations of human social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chihiro Yokoyama
- Laboratory for Brain Connectomics Imaging, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 6-7-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0047, Japan.
| | - Joonas A Autio
- Laboratory for Brain Connectomics Imaging, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 6-7-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0047, Japan
| | - Takuro Ikeda
- Laboratory for Brain Connectomics Imaging, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 6-7-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0047, Japan
| | - Jérôme Sallet
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Experimental Psychology, Oxford University, Oxford, United Kingdom; University of Lyon, Université Lyon 1, Inserm, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, Bron, France
| | - Rogier B Mars
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain (FMRIB), Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - David C Van Essen
- Departments of Neuroscience, Washington University Medical School, St Louis, MO, United States of America
| | - Matthew F Glasser
- Departments of Neuroscience, Washington University Medical School, St Louis, MO, United States of America; Department of Radiology, Washington University Medical School, St Louis, MO, United States of America
| | - Norihiro Sadato
- National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Japan; The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Takuya Hayashi
- Laboratory for Brain Connectomics Imaging, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 6-7-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0047, Japan; School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
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6
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Abstract
Humans are an unusually prosocial species, who engage in social behaviors that include altruism-whereby an individual engages in costly or risky acts to improve the welfare of another person-care, and cooperation. Current perspectives on the neurobiology of human prosociality suggest that it is deeply rooted in the neuroendocrine architecture of the social brain and emphasize the modulatory role of the neuropeptide hormone oxytocin. In this review, we provide a conceptual overview of the neurobiology of prosocial behavior with a focus on oxytocin's modulatory role in human prosociality. Specifically, we aim to encourage a better understanding of the peptide's susceptibility to diverse factors that produce heterogeneity in outcomes and the resulting methodological implications for measuring the behavioral effects of oxytocin in humans. After providing an overview of the state-of-the-art research on oxytocin's exogenous use, we elaborate on the peptide's modulatory role in the context of care-based altruism, cooperation, and conflict and discuss its potential for therapeutic interventions in psychiatric disorders characterized by social dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Marsh
- Department of Psychiatry, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Lower Saxony, Germany
| | - Abigail A. Marsh
- Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Mary R. Lee
- Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - René Hurlemann
- Department of Psychiatry, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Lower Saxony, Germany
- Research Center Neurosensory Science, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Lower Saxony, Germany
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7
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Novel treatments for autism spectrum disorder based on genomics and systems biology. Pharmacol Ther 2021; 230:107939. [PMID: 34174273 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2021.107939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a highly heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder with a complex underlying genetic architecture. There are currently no known pharmacologic treatments for the core ASD symptoms of social deficits and restricted/ repetitive behavior. However, there are dozens of clinical trials currently underway that are testing the impact of novel and existing agents on core and associated symptoms in ASD. METHODS We present a narrative synthesis of the historical and contemporary challenges to drug discovery in ASD. We then provide an overview of novel treatments currently under investigation from a genomics and systems biology perspective. RESULTS Data driven network and cluster analyses suggest alterations in transcriptional regulation, chromatin remodelling, synaptic transmission, neuropeptide signalling, and/or immunological mechanisms may contribute to or underlie the development of ASD. Agents and upcoming trials targeting each of the above listed systems are reviewed. CONCLUSION Identifying effective pharmacologic treatments for the core and associated symptom domains in ASD will require further collaboration and innovation in the areas of outcome measurement, biomarker research, and genomics, as well as systematic efforts to identify and treat subgroups of individuals with ASD who may be differentially responsive to specific treatments.
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8
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Festante F, Rayson H, Paukner A, Kaburu SSK, Toschi G, Fox NA, Ferrari PF. Oxytocin promotes prosocial behavior and related neural responses in infant macaques at-risk for compromised social development. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2021; 48:100950. [PMID: 33831822 PMCID: PMC8042434 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2021.100950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Although positive effects of oxytocin (OT) on social functioning are well-demonstrated, little is known about the mechanisms through which OT may drive early social development, or its therapeutic efficacy in infancy. To address these critical issues, we investigated the effects of exogenous OT on neural (EEG) and behavioral responses during observation of live facial gestures in infant macaques with limited social exposure (i.e. nursery-reared). Three key findings were revealed. First, OT increased alpha suppression over posterior scalp regions during observation of facial gestures but not non-biological movement, suggesting that OT targets self-other matching and attentional cortical networks involved in social perception from very early infancy. Second, OT increased infant production of matching facial gestures and attention towards the most socially-relevant facial stimuli, both behaviors typically silenced by early social deprivation. Third, infants with higher cortisol levels appeared to benefit the most from OT, displaying greater improvements in prosocial behaviors after OT administration. Altogether, these findings suggest that OT promotes prosocial behaviors and associated neural responses likely impacted by early social adversity, and demonstrate the potential of OT administration to ameliorate social difficulties in the context of neurodevelopmental and early-emerging psychiatric disorders, at a developmental stage when brain plasticity is greatest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrizia Festante
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, 56128, Pisa, Italy; Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Holly Rayson
- Institut des Sciences Cognitives Marc Jeannerod, CNRS/Université Claude Bernard Lyon, Bron, Cedex, 69675, France
| | - Annika Paukner
- Psychology Department, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, NG1 4FQ, UK
| | - Stefano S K Kaburu
- Department of Biomedical Science & Physiology, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton, WV1 1LY, UK
| | - Giulia Toschi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43125, Parma, Italy
| | - Nathan A Fox
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20740, USA
| | - Pier Francesco Ferrari
- Institut des Sciences Cognitives Marc Jeannerod, CNRS/Université Claude Bernard Lyon, Bron, Cedex, 69675, France; Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43125, Parma, Italy.
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9
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Liu N, Zhang H, Zhang X, Yang J, Weng X, Chen L. In Memory of Leslie G. Ungerleider. Neurosci Bull 2021; 37:592-595. [PMID: 33675525 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-021-00648-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ning Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Hui Zhang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data-Based Precision Medicine, School of Medicine and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Xilin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, Guangdong, China
- School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, Guangdong, China
| | - Jiongjiong Yang
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Xuchu Weng
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, Guangdong, China
- Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, Guangdong, China
| | - Lin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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10
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De Leon D, Nishitani S, Walum H, McCormack KM, Wilson ME, Smith AK, Young LJ, Sanchez MM. Methylation of OXT and OXTR genes, central oxytocin, and social behavior in female macaques. Horm Behav 2020; 126:104856. [PMID: 32979349 PMCID: PMC7725942 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 08/01/2020] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OXT) and its receptor (OXTR) are encoded by OXT and OXTR, respectively. Variable methylation of these genes has been linked to variability in sociability and neuroendophenotypes. Here we examine whether OXTR or OXT methylation in blood predicts concentrations of OXT in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) (n = 166) and social behavior (n = 207) in socially-housed female rhesus macaques. We report a similarity between human and rhesus CpG sites for OXT and OXTR and a putative negative association between methylation of two OXTR CpG units with aggressive behavior (both P = 0.003), though this finding does not survive the most stringent correction for multiple comparison testing. We did not detect a statistically significant association between methylation of any CpG sites and CSF OXT concentrations, either. Because none of the tested associations survived statistical corrections, if there is any relationship between blood-derived methylation of these genes and the behavioral and physiological outcomes measured here, the effect size is too small to be detected reliably with this sample size. These results do not support the hypothesis that blood methylation of OXT or OXTR is robustly associated with CSF OXT concentration or social behavior in rhesus. It is possible, though, that methylation of these loci in the brain or in cheek epithelia may be associated with central OXT release and behavior. Finally, we consider the limitations of this exploratory study in the context of statistical power.
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Affiliation(s)
- Desirée De Leon
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America; Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America; Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Shota Nishitani
- Dept. of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emory School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America; Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan; Dept. of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Hasse Walum
- Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Kai M McCormack
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America; Dept. of Psychology, Spelman College, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Mark E Wilson
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America; Dept. of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Alicia K Smith
- Dept. of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emory School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America; Dept. of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Larry J Young
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America; Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America; Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America; Dept. of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Mar M Sanchez
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America; Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America; Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America; Dept. of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America.
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11
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Lieberz J, Scheele D, Spengler FB, Matheisen T, Schneider L, Stoffel-Wagner B, Kinfe TM, Hurlemann R. Kinetics of oxytocin effects on amygdala and striatal reactivity vary between women and men. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:1134-1140. [PMID: 31785587 PMCID: PMC7235226 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-019-0582-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2019] [Revised: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that intranasal oxytocin (OXT; 24 IU) reduces amygdala responses to fear-related stimuli in men, while exerting inverse effects in women. However, OXT enhances activity of the brain reward system in both sexes. Importantly, a crucial and still open question is whether there are sex-specific dose-response relationships for the amygdala and striatal regions. To address this question, a total of 90 healthy women participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study and the results were compared with our previous findings from men. Participants were randomly assigned to three doses of OXT (6 IU, 12 IU, and 24 IU) and completed an emotional face recognition task including fearful and happy faces of varying emotional intensities. Across doses, OXT enhanced amygdala reactivity to low fearful faces compared to placebo and increased responses to happy faces in the dorsal striatum in women. While treatment effects on amygdala reactivity were evident at each given dose, the OXT effect on striatal responses to social stimuli was more pronounced with higher doses, but this dose-dependent effect did not survive correction for multiple comparisons. Importantly, OXT effects on amygdala and striatal activation significantly differed between sexes and striatal baseline sexual-dimorphic response patterns were diminished after administration of OXT. Our findings suggest that OXT increases the salience of social signals by strengthening the sensitivity for these signals in the amygdala and in the striatum in women, while OXT may primarily induce anxiolysis by reducing amygdala responses in men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Lieberz
- 0000 0001 2240 3300grid.10388.32Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany
| | - Dirk Scheele
- Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, 53105, Bonn, Germany.
| | - Franny B. Spengler
- grid.5963.9Institute for Psychology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Tatjana Matheisen
- 0000 0001 2240 3300grid.10388.32Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany
| | - Lìa Schneider
- 0000 0001 2240 3300grid.10388.32Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany
| | - Birgit Stoffel-Wagner
- 0000 0001 2240 3300grid.10388.32Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany
| | - Thomas M. Kinfe
- 0000 0001 2107 3311grid.5330.5Department of Neurosurgery, Division of Functional Neurosurgery and Stereotaxy, Friedrich-Alexander University (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - René Hurlemann
- 0000 0001 2240 3300grid.10388.32Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany ,0000 0001 2240 3300grid.10388.32Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany ,0000 0001 1009 3608grid.5560.6Department of Psychiatry, University of Oldenburg Medical Campus, 26160 Bad Zwischenahn, Germany
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12
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Intranasal oxytocin selectively modulates the behavior of rhesus monkeys in an expression matching task. Sci Rep 2019; 9:15187. [PMID: 31645593 PMCID: PMC6811679 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-51422-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) is thought to regulate prosocial behavior in mammals, there is considerable debate as to how intranasal OT influences primate behavior. The aim of this study was to determine whether intranasal OT has a general anxiolytic effect on the performance of rhesus monkeys tasked with matching face stimuli, or a more selective effect on their behavior towards aversive facial expressions. To this end, we developed an innovative delayed match-to-sample task where the exact same trials could be used to assess either a monkey’s ability to match facial expressions or facial identities. If OT has a general affect on behavior, then performance in both tasks should be altered by the administration of OT. We tested four male rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) in both the expression and identity task after the intranasal administration of either OT or saline in a within-subjects design. We found that OT inhalation selectively reduced a selection bias against negatively valenced expressions. Based on the same visual input, performance in the identity task was also unaffected by OT. This dissociation provides evidence that intranasal OT affects primate behavior under very particular circumstances, rather than acting as a general anxiolytic, in a highly translatable nonhuman model, the rhesus monkey.
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13
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Bradley ER, Seitz A, Niles AN, Rankin KP, Mathalon DH, O'Donovan A, Woolley JD. Oxytocin increases eye gaze in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2019; 212:177-185. [PMID: 31416746 PMCID: PMC6791758 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2019.07.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Revised: 05/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Abnormal eye gaze is common in schizophrenia and linked to functional impairment. The hypothalamic neuropeptide oxytocin modulates visual attention to social stimuli, but its effects on eye gaze in schizophrenia are unknown. We examined visual scanning of faces in men with schizophrenia and neurotypical controls to quantify oxytocin effects on eye gaze. In a randomized, double-blind, crossover study, 33 men with schizophrenia and 39 matched controls received one dose of intranasal oxytocin (40 IU) and placebo on separate testing days. Participants viewed 20 color photographs of faces while their gaze patterns were recorded. We tested for differences in fixation time on the eyes between patients and controls as well as oxytocin effects using linear mixed-effects models. We also tested whether attachment style, symptom severity, and anti-dopaminergic medication dosage moderated oxytocin effects. In the placebo condition, patients showed reduced fixation time on the eyes compared to controls. Oxytocin was associated with an increase in fixation time among patients, but a decrease among controls. Higher attachment anxiety and greater symptom severity predicted increased fixation time on the eyes on oxytocin versus placebo. Anti-dopaminergic medication dosage and attachment avoidance did not impact response to oxytocin. Consistent with findings that oxytocin optimizes processing of social stimuli, intranasal oxytocin enhanced eye gaze in men with schizophrenia. Further work is needed to determine whether changes in eye gaze impact social cognition and functional outcomes. Both attachment anxiety and symptom severity predicted oxytocin response, highlighting the importance of examining potential moderators of oxytocin effects in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen R Bradley
- University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States of America; San Francisco Veteran's Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, United States of America.
| | - Alison Seitz
- University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
| | - Andrea N Niles
- University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States of America; San Francisco Veteran's Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
| | | | - Daniel H Mathalon
- University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States of America; San Francisco Veteran's Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
| | - Aoife O'Donovan
- University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States of America; San Francisco Veteran's Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
| | - Joshua D Woolley
- University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States of America; San Francisco Veteran's Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
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14
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Abstract
Abstract
Current psychological perspectives emphasize “attack” and “defense” as the behavioral mechanisms underlying conflict. Here, we extend this view by highlighting the relevance of pathological altruism and the neuroendocrine pathways associated with hostile behaviors. Specifically, we elucidate the modulatory role of the neuropeptide hormone oxytocin in motivating extraordinary levels of in-group commitment that can promote extreme behaviors and endure conflict with out-groups.
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15
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Weinberg-Wolf H, Chang SWC. Differences in how macaques monitor others: Does serotonin play a central role? WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2019; 10:e1494. [PMID: 30775852 PMCID: PMC6570566 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Revised: 01/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Primates must balance the need to monitor other conspecifics to gain social information while not losing other resource opportunities. We consolidate evidence across the fields of primatology, psychology, and neuroscience to examine individual, population, and species differences in how primates, particularly macaques, monitor conspecifics. We particularly consider the role of serotonin in mediating social competency via social attention, aggression, and dominance behaviors. Finally, we consider how the evolution of variation in social tolerance, aggression, and social monitoring might be explained by differences in serotonergic function in macaques. This article is categorized under: Economics > Interactive Decision-Making Psychology > Comparative Psychology Neuroscience > Behavior Cognitive Biology > Evolutionary Roots of Cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Steve W C Chang
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
- Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
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16
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Bridge H, Bell AH, Ainsworth M, Sallet J, Premereur E, Ahmed B, Mitchell AS, Schüffelgen U, Buckley M, Tendler BC, Miller KL, Mars RB, Parker AJ, Krug K. Preserved extrastriate visual network in a monkey with substantial, naturally occurring damage to primary visual cortex. eLife 2019; 8:e42325. [PMID: 31120417 PMCID: PMC6533062 DOI: 10.7554/elife.42325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2018] [Accepted: 04/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Lesions of primary visual cortex (V1) lead to loss of conscious visual perception with significant impact on human patients. Understanding the neural consequences of such damage may aid the development of rehabilitation methods. In this rare case of a Rhesus macaque (monkey S), likely born without V1, the animal's in-group behaviour was unremarkable, but visual task training was impaired. With multi-modal magnetic resonance imaging, visual structures outside of the lesion appeared normal. Visual stimulation under anaesthesia with checkerboards activated lateral geniculate nucleus of monkey S, while full-field moving dots activated pulvinar. Visual cortical activation was sparse but included face patches. Consistently across lesion and control monkeys, functional connectivity analysis revealed an intact network of bilateral dorsal visual areas temporally correlated with V5/MT activation, even without V1. Despite robust subcortical responses to visual stimulation, we found little evidence for strengthened subcortical input to V5/MT supporting residual visual function or blindsight-like phenomena.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly Bridge
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIBOxford UniversityOxfordUnited Kingdom
- Nuffield Department of Clinical NeurosciencesOxford UniversityOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Andrew H Bell
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIBOxford UniversityOxfordUnited Kingdom
- Department of Experimental PsychologyOxford UniversityOxfordUnited Kingdom
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences UnitCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Matthew Ainsworth
- Department of Experimental PsychologyOxford UniversityOxfordUnited Kingdom
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences UnitCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Jerome Sallet
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIBOxford UniversityOxfordUnited Kingdom
- Department of Experimental PsychologyOxford UniversityOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Elsie Premereur
- Laboratory for Neuro- and PsychophysiologyKU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Bashir Ahmed
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and GeneticsOxford UniversityOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Anna S Mitchell
- Department of Experimental PsychologyOxford UniversityOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Urs Schüffelgen
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIBOxford UniversityOxfordUnited Kingdom
- Department of Experimental PsychologyOxford UniversityOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Mark Buckley
- Department of Experimental PsychologyOxford UniversityOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Benjamin C Tendler
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIBOxford UniversityOxfordUnited Kingdom
- Nuffield Department of Clinical NeurosciencesOxford UniversityOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Karla L Miller
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIBOxford UniversityOxfordUnited Kingdom
- Nuffield Department of Clinical NeurosciencesOxford UniversityOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Rogier B Mars
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIBOxford UniversityOxfordUnited Kingdom
- Nuffield Department of Clinical NeurosciencesOxford UniversityOxfordUnited Kingdom
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and BehaviourRadboud University NijmegenNijmegenNetherlands
| | - Andrew J Parker
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and GeneticsOxford UniversityOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Kristine Krug
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and GeneticsOxford UniversityOxfordUnited Kingdom
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17
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Zarei SA, Sheibani V, Tomaz C, Mansouri FA. The effects of oxytocin on primates’ working memory depend on the emotional valence of contextual factors. Behav Brain Res 2019; 362:82-89. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.12.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2018] [Revised: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 12/27/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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18
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Rossion B, Taubert J. What can we learn about human individual face recognition from experimental studies in monkeys? Vision Res 2019; 157:142-158. [DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2018.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2017] [Revised: 03/22/2018] [Accepted: 03/29/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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19
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Qin D, Wu S, Chen Y, Hu X. Behavioral screening tools for identifying autism in macaques: existing and promising tests. Brain Res Bull 2019; 146:87-93. [PMID: 30605712 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2018.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Revised: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 12/28/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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20
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Fang A, Lawson EA, Wilhelm S. Intranasal oxytocin modulates higher order social cognition in body dysmorphic disorder. Depress Anxiety 2019; 36:153-161. [PMID: 30614171 PMCID: PMC6501211 DOI: 10.1002/da.22876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2018] [Revised: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a psychiatric disorder with specific impairments in social cognition related to excessive concerns about one's appearance. Individuals with BDD have difficulty identifying emotional expressions and attribute internal factors for others' emotional expressions in self-referent (but not other-referent) scenarios. Given the role of oxytocin in regulating social approach behavior and social salience, we hypothesized that oxytocin would improve biases in emotion recognition, attributions, and threat interpretations in individuals with BDD, compared to healthy controls (HCs). This is the first study to examine the effects of oxytocin in people with BDD. METHODS Eighteen participants with BDD and 16 HCs received a single dose of 24 international units of intranasal oxytocin (Syntocinon®) or matching placebo in a randomized, placebo-controlled, within-subject crossover design. Participants completed the Emotion Recognition Task and Interpretation Questionnaire 45 min after administration. RESULTS Oxytocin, relative to placebo, did not improve emotion recognition accuracy in either self-referent or other-referent contexts for individuals with BDD. However, oxytocin led to greater internal attributions in other-referent contexts for those with BDD compared to HCs. Rather than reducing self-blame, oxytocin led to other-directed blame. Oxytocin did not impact threat interpretations in BDD. CONCLUSIONS Oxytocin may only impact specific aspects of higher order social cognition in BDD and may have unwanted effects on emotion attributions. Our results caution its clinical use in BDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Fang
- Department of Psychiatry, OCD and Related Disorders Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Elizabeth A. Lawson
- Neuroendocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Sabine Wilhelm
- Department of Psychiatry, OCD and Related Disorders Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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21
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Bauman MD, Murai T, Hogrefe CE, Platt ML. Opportunities and challenges for intranasal oxytocin treatment studies in nonhuman primates. Am J Primatol 2018; 80:e22913. [PMID: 30281820 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2018] [Revised: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Nonhuman primates provide a human-relevant experimental model system to explore the mechanisms by which oxytocin (OT) regulates social processing and inform its clinical applications. Here, we highlight contributions of the nonhuman primate model to our understanding of OT treatment and address unique challenges in administering OT to awake behaving primates. Prior preclinical research utilizing macaque monkeys has demonstrated that OT can modulate perception of other individuals and their expressions, attention to others, imitation, vigilance to social threats, and prosocial decisions. We further describe ongoing efforts to develop an OT delivery system for use in experimentally naïve juvenile macaque monkeys compatible with naturalistic social behavior outcomes. Finally, we discuss future directions to further develop the rhesus monkey as a preclinical test bed to evaluate the effects of OT exposure and advance efforts to translate basic science OT research into safe and effective OT therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa D Bauman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, California.,The UC Davis MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, California.,California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, California
| | - Takeshi Murai
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, California.,Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan
| | - Casey E Hogrefe
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, California
| | - Michael L Platt
- Departments of Neuroscience, Psychology, and Marketing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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22
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Zhao Z, Ma X, Geng Y, Zhao W, Zhou F, Wang J, Markett S, Biswal BB, Ma Y, Kendrick KM, Becker B. Oxytocin differentially modulates specific dorsal and ventral striatal functional connections with frontal and cerebellar regions. Neuroimage 2018; 184:781-789. [PMID: 30266264 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.09.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2017] [Revised: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 09/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Interactions between oxytocin and the basal ganglia are central in current overarching conceptualizations of its broad modulatory effects on behavior. Whereas evidence from animal models emphasizes the critical role of the ventral striatum in the behavioral effects of oxytocin, region-specific contributions of the basal ganglia have not been systematically explored in humans. The present study combined the randomized placebo-controlled administration of oxytocin versus placebo in healthy men (n = 144) with fMRI-based resting-state functional connectivity to determine the modulatory role of oxytocin on the major basal ganglia pathways. Oxytocin specifically increased connectivity between ventral striatal and pallidal nodes with upstream frontal regions, whereas it decreased the strengths of downstream pathways between the dorsal striatum and posterior cerebellum. These pathways have previously been implicated in salience, reward and behavioral flexibility, thus shaping goal-directed behavior. Given the importance of aberrant striatal intrinsic organization in autism, addiction and schizophrenia the present findings may suggest new mechanistic perspectives for the therapeutic potential of oxytocin in these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiying Zhao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaole Ma
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Yayuan Geng
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Weihua Zhao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Feng Zhou
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Jiaojian Wang
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Sebastian Markett
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Bharat B Biswal
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China; Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Yina Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute of Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Keith M Kendrick
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Benjamin Becker
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
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23
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Putnam PT, Young LJ, Gothard KM. Bridging the gap between rodents and humans: The role of non-human primates in oxytocin research. Am J Primatol 2018; 80:e22756. [PMID: 29923206 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2018] [Revised: 02/28/2018] [Accepted: 03/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OT), a neuropeptide that acts in the brain as a neuromodulator, has been long known to shape maternal physiology and behavior in mammals, however its role in regulating social cognition and behavior in primates has come to the forefront only in the recent decade. Many of the current perspectives on the role of OT in modulating social behavior emerged first from studies in rodents, where invasive techniques with a high degree of precision have permitted the mechanistic dissection of OT-related behaviors, as well as their underlying neural circuits in exquisite detail. In parallel, behavioral and imaging studies in humans have suggested that brain OT may similarly influence human social behavior and neural activity. These studies in rodents and humans have spurred interest in the therapeutic potential of targeting the OT system to remedy deficits in social cognition and behavior that are present across numerous psychiatric disorders. Yet there remains a tremendous gap in our mechanistic understanding of the influence of brain OT on social neural circuitry between rodents and man. In fact, very little is known regarding the neural mechanisms by which exogenous or endogenous OT influences human social cognition, limiting its therapeutic potential. Here we discuss how non-human primates (NHPs) are uniquely positioned to now bridge the gaps in knowledge provided by the precise circuit-level approaches widely used in rodent models and the behavioral, imaging, and clinical studies in humans. This review provides a perspective on what has been achieved, and what can be expected from exploring the role of OT in shaping social behaviors in NHPs in the coming years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip T Putnam
- Department of Physiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona.,Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Larry J Young
- Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Atlanta, Georgia.,Department of Psychiatry, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Katalin M Gothard
- Department of Physiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona.,Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Atlanta, Georgia
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24
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Liu N, Hadj-Bouziane F, Moran R, Ungerleider LG, Ishai A. Facial Expressions Evoke Differential Neural Coupling in Macaques. Cereb Cortex 2018; 27:1524-1531. [PMID: 26759479 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhv345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In humans and monkeys, face perception activates a distributed cortical network that includes extrastriate, limbic, and prefrontal regions. Within face-responsive regions, emotional faces evoke stronger responses than neutral faces ("valence effect"). We used fMRI and Dynamic Causal Modeling (DCM) to test the hypothesis that emotional faces differentially alter the functional coupling among face-responsive regions. Three monkeys viewed conspecific faces with neutral, threatening, fearful, and appeasing expressions. Using Bayesian model selection, various models of neural interactions between the posterior (TEO) and anterior (TE) portions of inferior temporal (IT) cortex, the amygdala, the orbitofrontal (OFC), and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) were tested. The valence effect was mediated by feedback connections from the amygdala to TE and TEO, and feedback connections from VLPFC to the amygdala and TE. Emotional faces were associated with differential effective connectivity: Fearful faces evoked stronger modulations in the connections from the amygdala to TE and TEO; threatening faces evoked weaker modulations in the connections from the amygdala and VLPFC to TE; and appeasing faces evoked weaker modulations in the connection from VLPFC to the amygdala. Our results suggest dynamic alterations in neural coupling during the perception of behaviorally relevant facial expressions that are vital for social communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Liu
- Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Rosalyn Moran
- Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Roanoke, VA, USA
| | - Leslie G Ungerleider
- Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Alumit Ishai
- Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.,Department of Neuroradiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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25
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Kaskan PM, Costa VD, Eaton HP, Zemskova JA, Mitz AR, Leopold DA, Ungerleider LG, Murray EA. Learned Value Shapes Responses to Objects in Frontal and Ventral Stream Networks in Macaque Monkeys. Cereb Cortex 2018; 27:2739-2757. [PMID: 27166166 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhw113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
We have an incomplete picture of how the brain links object representations to reward value, and how this information is stored and later retrieved. The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), medial frontal cortex (MFC), and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC), together with the amygdala, are thought to play key roles in these processes. There is an apparent discrepancy, however, regarding frontal areas thought to encode value in macaque monkeys versus humans. To address this issue, we used fMRI in macaque monkeys to localize brain areas encoding recently learned image values. Each week, monkeys learned to associate images of novel objects with a high or low probability of water reward. Areas responding to the value of recently learned reward-predictive images included MFC area 10 m/32, VLPFC area 12, and inferior temporal visual cortex (IT). The amygdala and OFC, each thought to be involved in value encoding, showed little such effect. Instead, these 2 areas primarily responded to visual stimulation and reward receipt, respectively. Strong image value encoding in monkey MFC compared with OFC is surprising, but agrees with results from human imaging studies. Our findings demonstrate the importance of VLPFC, MFC, and IT in representing the values of recently learned visual images.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter M Kaskan
- Section on Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, Laboratory of Neuropsychology
| | - Vincent D Costa
- Unit on Learning and Decision Making, Laboratory of Neuropsychology
| | - Hana P Eaton
- Section on Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, Laboratory of Neuropsychology
| | - Julie A Zemskova
- Section on Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, Laboratory of Neuropsychology
| | | | - David A Leopold
- Section on Cognitive Neurophysiology and Imaging, Laboratory of Neuropsychology and
| | - Leslie G Ungerleider
- Section on Neurocircuitry, Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Elisabeth A Murray
- Section on Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, Laboratory of Neuropsychology
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26
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Li X, Zhu Q, Janssens T, Arsenault JT, Vanduffel W. In Vivo Identification of Thick, Thin, and Pale Stripes of Macaque Area V2 Using Submillimeter Resolution (f)MRI at 3 T. Cereb Cortex 2017; 29:544-560. [DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhx337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2017] [Accepted: 11/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolian Li
- Laboratory of Neuro- and Psychophysiology, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven Medical School, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Qi Zhu
- Laboratory of Neuro- and Psychophysiology, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven Medical School, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Thomas Janssens
- Laboratory of Neuro- and Psychophysiology, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven Medical School, Leuven, Belgium
- Current address: Siemens Healthcare Belgium, Beersel, Belgium
| | - John T Arsenault
- Laboratory of Neuro- and Psychophysiology, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven Medical School, Leuven, Belgium
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Wim Vanduffel
- Laboratory of Neuro- and Psychophysiology, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven Medical School, Leuven, Belgium
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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27
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Current neuroimaging perspectives on a variety of mental disorders emphasize dysfunction of the amygdala. The neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT), a key mediator in the regulation of social cognition and behavior, accumulates in cerebrospinal fluid after intranasal administration in macaques and humans and modulates amygdala reactivity in both species. However, the translation of neuromodulatory OXT effects to novel treatment approaches is hampered by the absence of studies defining the most effective dose and dose-response latency for targeting the amygdala. METHODS To address this highly relevant issue, a total of 116 healthy men underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging using a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study design. The experimental rationale was to systematically vary dose-test latencies (15-40, 45-70, and 75-100 minutes) and doses of OXT (12, 24, and 48 international units) in order to identify the most robust effects on amygdala reactivity. During functional magnetic resonance imaging, subjects completed an emotional face recognition task including stimuli with varying intensities ranging from low (highly ambiguous) to high (less ambiguous). RESULTS Our results indicate that the OXT-induced inhibition of amygdala responses to fear was most effective in a time window between 45 and 70 minutes after administration of a dose of 24 international units. Furthermore, the observed effect was most evident in subjects scoring high on measures of autistic-like traits. Behavioral response patterns suggest that OXT specifically reduced an emotional bias in the perception of ambiguous faces. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide initial evidence of the most effective dose and dose-test interval for future experimental or therapeutic regimens aimed at targeting amygdala functioning using intranasal OXT administration.
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Johnson ZV, Young LJ. Oxytocin and vasopressin neural networks: Implications for social behavioral diversity and translational neuroscience. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 76:87-98. [PMID: 28434591 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.01.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 179] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2016] [Revised: 12/15/2016] [Accepted: 01/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Oxytocin- and vasopressin-related systems are present in invertebrate and vertebrate bilaterian animals, including humans, and exhibit conserved neuroanatomical and functional properties. In vertebrates, these systems innervate conserved neural networks that regulate social learning and behavior, including conspecific recognition, social attachment, and parental behavior. Individual and species-level variation in central organization of oxytocin and vasopressin systems has been linked to individual and species variation in social learning and behavior. In humans, genetic polymorphisms in the genes encoding oxytocin and vasopressin peptides and/or their respective target receptors have been associated with individual variation in social recognition, social attachment phenotypes, parental behavior, and psychiatric phenotypes such as autism. Here we describe both conserved and variable features of central oxytocin and vasopressin systems in the context of social behavioral diversity, with a particular focus on neural networks that modulate social learning, behavior, and salience of sociosensory stimuli during species-typical social contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary V Johnson
- Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA.
| | - Larry J Young
- Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
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Kotani M, Shimono K, Yoneyama T, Nakako T, Matsumoto K, Ogi Y, Konoike N, Nakamura K, Ikeda K. An eye tracking system for monitoring face scanning patterns reveals the enhancing effect of oxytocin on eye contact in common marmosets. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2017; 83:42-48. [PMID: 28586711 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2017] [Accepted: 05/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Eye tracking systems are used to investigate eyes position and gaze patterns presumed as eye contact in humans. Eye contact is a useful biomarker of social communication and known to be deficient in patients with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Interestingly, the same eye tracking systems have been used to directly compare face scanning patterns in some non-human primates to those in human. Thus, eye tracking is expected to be a useful translational technique for investigating not only social attention and visual interest, but also the effects of psychiatric drugs, such as oxytocin, a neuropeptide that regulates social behavior. In this study, we report on a newly established method for eye tracking in common marmosets as unique New World primates that, like humans, use eye contact as a mean of communication. Our investigation was aimed at characterizing these primates face scanning patterns and evaluating the effects of oxytocin on their eye contact behavior. We found that normal common marmosets spend more time viewing the eyes region in common marmoset's picture than the mouth region or a scrambled picture. In oxytocin experiment, the change in eyes/face ratio was significantly greater in the oxytocin group than in the vehicle group. Moreover, oxytocin-induced increase in the change in eyes/face ratio was completely blocked by the oxytocin receptor antagonist L-368,899. These results indicate that eye tracking in common marmosets may be useful for evaluating drug candidates targeting psychiatric conditions, especially ASDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manato Kotani
- Higher Brain Function Research, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma, Co., Ltd., 33-94 Enoki-cho, Suita, Osaka, 564-0053, Japan
| | - Kohei Shimono
- Molecular Pathophysiology Research, Drug Research Division, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma, Co., Ltd., 3-1-98 Kasugadenaka, Konohana-ku, Osaka, 554-0022, Japan
| | - Toshihiro Yoneyama
- Omics Group, Genomic Science Laboratories, Drug Research Division, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma, Co., Ltd., 3-1-98 Kasugadenaka, Konohana-ku, Osaka, 554-0022, Japan
| | - Tomokazu Nakako
- Higher Brain Function Research, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma, Co., Ltd., 33-94 Enoki-cho, Suita, Osaka, 564-0053, Japan
| | - Kenji Matsumoto
- Higher Brain Function Research, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma, Co., Ltd., 33-94 Enoki-cho, Suita, Osaka, 564-0053, Japan
| | - Yuji Ogi
- Higher Brain Function Research, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma, Co., Ltd., 33-94 Enoki-cho, Suita, Osaka, 564-0053, Japan
| | - Naho Konoike
- Department of Neuroscience, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, 41-2 Kanrin, Inuyama, Aichi, 484-8506, Japan
| | - Katsuki Nakamura
- Department of Neuroscience, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, 41-2 Kanrin, Inuyama, Aichi, 484-8506, Japan
| | - Kazuhito Ikeda
- Higher Brain Function Research, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma, Co., Ltd., 33-94 Enoki-cho, Suita, Osaka, 564-0053, Japan.
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Bauman MD, Schumann CM. Advances in nonhuman primate models of autism: Integrating neuroscience and behavior. Exp Neurol 2017; 299:252-265. [PMID: 28774750 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2017.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2017] [Revised: 07/27/2017] [Accepted: 07/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Given the prevalence and societal impact of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), there is an urgent need to develop innovative preventative strategies and treatments to reduce the alarming number of cases and improve core symptoms for afflicted individuals. Translational efforts between clinical and preclinical research are needed to (i) identify and evaluate putative causes of ASD, (ii) determine the underlying neurobiological mechanisms, (iii) develop and test novel therapeutic approaches and (iv) ultimately translate basic research into safe and effective clinical practices. However, modeling a uniquely human brain disorder, such as ASD, will require sophisticated animal models that capitalize on unique advantages of diverse species including drosophila, zebra fish, mice, rats, and ultimately, species more closely related to humans, such as the nonhuman primate. Here we discuss the unique contributions of the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) model to ongoing efforts to understand the neurobiology of the disorder, focusing on the convergence of brain and behavior outcome measures that parallel features of human ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- M D Bauman
- The UC Davis MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, USA; California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, USA.
| | - C M Schumann
- The UC Davis MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, USA
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Simpson EA, Paukner A, Sclafani V, Kaburu SSK, Suomi SJ, Ferrari PF. Acute oxytocin improves memory and gaze following in male but not female nursery-reared infant macaques. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2017; 234:497-506. [PMID: 27837331 PMCID: PMC5226861 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-016-4480-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2016] [Accepted: 11/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Exogenous oxytocin administration is widely reported to improve social cognition in human and nonhuman primate adults. Risk factors of impaired social cognition, however, emerge in infancy. Early interventions-when plasticity is greatest-are critical to reverse negative outcomes. OBJECTIVE We tested the hypothesis that oxytocin may exert similar positive effects on infant social cognition, as in adults. To test this idea, we assessed the effectiveness of acute, aerosolized oxytocin on two foundational social cognitive skills: working memory (i.e., ability to briefly hold and process information) and social gaze (i.e., tracking the direction of others' gaze) in 1-month-old nursery-reared macaque monkeys (Macaca mulatta). We did not predict sex differences, but we included sex as a factor in our analyses to test whether our effects would be generalizable across both males and females. RESULTS In a double-blind, placebo-controlled design, we found that females were more socially skilled at baseline compared to males, and that oxytocin improved working memory and gaze following, but only in males. CONCLUSIONS These sex differences, while unexpected, may be due to interactions with gonadal steroids and may be relevant to sexually dimorphic disorders of social cognition, such as male-biased autism spectrum disorder, for which oxytocin has been proposed as a potential treatment. In sum, we report the first evidence that oxytocin may influence primate infant cognitive abilities. Moreover, these behavioral effects appear sexually dimorphic, highlighting the importance of considering sex differences. Oxytocin effects observed in one sex may not be generalizable to the other sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A. Simpson
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, USA,Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Poolesville, Maryland, USA,Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Università di Parma, Parma, Italy,Corresponding author. 5665 Ponce De Leon Boulevard, Coral Gables, Florida 33124, USA. . Phone: +1-305-284-6181. Fax: +1- 305-284-3402
| | - Annika Paukner
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Poolesville, Maryland, USA
| | - Valentina Sclafani
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Poolesville, Maryland, USA,Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Università di Parma, Parma, Italy,School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom
| | - Stefano S. K. Kaburu
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Poolesville, Maryland, USA,Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Università di Parma, Parma, Italy,Department of Population Health and Reproduction, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Stephen J. Suomi
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Poolesville, Maryland, USA
| | - Pier F. Ferrari
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Università di Parma, Parma, Italy,Institut des Sciences Cognitives Marc Jeannerod, CNRS/Université Claude Bernard Lyon, France
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Johnson ZV, Walum H, Xiao Y, Riefkohl PC, Young LJ. Oxytocin receptors modulate a social salience neural network in male prairie voles. Horm Behav 2017; 87:16-24. [PMID: 27793769 PMCID: PMC5207344 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2016] [Revised: 10/05/2016] [Accepted: 10/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Social behavior is regulated by conserved neural networks across vertebrates. Variation in the organization of neuropeptide systems across these networks is thought to contribute to individual and species diversity in network function during social contexts. For example, oxytocin (OT) is an ancient neuropeptide that binds to OT receptors (OTRs) in the brain and modulates social and reproductive behavior across vertebrate species, including humans. Central OTRs exhibit extraordinarily diverse expression patterns that are associated with individual and species differences in social behavior. In voles, OTR density in the nucleus accumbens (NAc)-a region important for social and reward learning-is associated with individual and species variation in social attachment behavior. Here we test whether OTRs in the NAc modulate a social salience network (SSN)-a network of interconnected brain nuclei thought to encode valence and incentive salience of sociosensory cues-during a social context in the socially monogamous male prairie vole. Using a selective OTR antagonist, we test whether activation of OTRs in the NAc during sociosexual interaction and mating modulates expression of the immediate early gene product Fos across nuclei of the SSN. We show that blockade of endogenous OTR signaling in the NAc during sociosexual interaction and mating does not strongly modulate levels of Fos expression in individual nodes of the network, but strongly modulates patterns of correlated Fos expression between the NAc and other SSN nuclei.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary V Johnson
- Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
| | - Hasse Walum
- Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
| | - Yao Xiao
- Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
| | - Paula C Riefkohl
- Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
| | - Larry J Young
- Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
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Oxytocin improves the ability of dogs to follow informative pointing: a neuroemotional hypothesis. RENDICONTI LINCEI-SCIENZE FISICHE E NATURALI 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s12210-016-0579-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Neue Einblicke in die Psychobiologie altruistischer Entscheidungen. DER NERVENARZT 2016; 87:1131-1135. [DOI: 10.1007/s00115-016-0229-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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Zou Z, Song H, Zhang Y, Zhang X. Romantic Love vs. Drug Addiction May Inspire a New Treatment for Addiction. Front Psychol 2016; 7:1436. [PMID: 27713720 PMCID: PMC5031705 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2016] [Accepted: 09/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug addiction is a complex neurological dysfunction induced by recurring drug intoxication. Strategies to prevent and treat drug addiction constitute a topic of research interest. Early-stage romantic love is characterized by some characteristics of addiction, which gradually disappear as the love relationship progresses. Therefore, comparison of the concordance and discordance between romantic love and drug addiction may elucidate potential treatments for addiction. This focused review uses the evidences from our recent studies to compare the neural alterations between romantic love and drug addiction, moreover we also compare the behavioral and neurochemical alterations between romantic love and drug addiction. From the behavioral comparisons we find that there are many similarities between the early stage of romantic love and drug addiction, and this stage romantic love is considered as a behavioral addiction, while significant differences exist between the later stage of romantic love and drug addiction, and this stage of romantic love eventually developed into a prosocial behavior. The neuroimaging comparisons suggest that romantic love and drug addiction both display the functional enhancement in reward and emotion regulation network. Except the similar neural changes, romantic love display special function enhancement in social cognition network, while drug addiction display special dysfunction in cognitive control network. The neurochemical comparisons show that there are many similarities in the dopamine (DA) system, while significant differences in oxytocin (OT) system for romantic love and drug addiction. These findings indicate that the functional alterations in reward and emotion regulation network and the DA system may be the neurophysiological basis of romantic love as a behavioral addiction, and the functional alterations in social cognition network and the OT system may be the neurophysiological basis of romantic love as a prosocial behavior. It seems that the OT system is a critical factor for the development of addiction. So we then discuss strategies to treat drug addiction with OT, and suggest that future research should further investigate OT system interventions aiming to improve cognitive control and/or social cognition functions, in order to develop strategies designed to more effectively treat drug addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiling Zou
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University Chongqing, China
| | - Hongwen Song
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest UniversityChongqing, China; Center of Medical Physics and Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, CASHefei, China
| | - Yuting Zhang
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China Hefei, China
| | - Xiaochu Zhang
- Center of Medical Physics and Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, CASHefei, China; Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of ChinaHefei, China; School of Humanities and Social Science, University of Science and Technology of ChinaHefei, China; Centers for Biomedical Engineering, University of Science and Technology of ChinaHefei, China
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Korb S, Malsert J, Strathearn L, Vuilleumier P, Niedenthal P. Sniff and mimic - Intranasal oxytocin increases facial mimicry in a sample of men. Horm Behav 2016; 84:64-74. [PMID: 27283377 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2015] [Revised: 05/29/2016] [Accepted: 06/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) has many potential social benefits. For example, intranasal administration of OT appears to trigger caregiving behavior and to improve the recognition of emotional facial expressions. But the mechanism for these effects is not yet clear. Recent findings relating OT to action imitation and to the visual processing of the eye region of faces point to mimicry as a mechanism through which OT improves processing of emotional expression. To test the hypothesis that increased levels of OT in the brain enhance facial mimicry, 60 healthy male participants were administered, in a double-blind between-subjects design, 24 international units (IUs) of OT or placebo (PLA) through nasal spray. Facial mimicry and emotion judgments were recorded in response to movie clips depicting changing facial expressions. As expected, facial mimicry was increased in the OT group, but effects were strongest for angry infant faces. These findings provide further evidence for the importance of OT in social cognitive skills, and suggest that facial mimicry mediates the effects of OT on improved emotion recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Korb
- Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, Campus Biotech, 9 Chemin des Mines, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin, 1202 West Johnson street, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
| | - Jennifer Malsert
- Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, Campus Biotech, 9 Chemin des Mines, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Psychology, University of Geneva, 40 bd du Pont d'Arve, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Lane Strathearn
- Stead Family Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa, 213F CDD Center for Disabilities and Development, 100 Hawkins Dr, Iowa City, IA 52246, USA.
| | - Patrik Vuilleumier
- Department of Fundamental Neurosciences, University of Geneva, 1 rue Michel-Servet, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Paula Niedenthal
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin, 1202 West Johnson street, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
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Freeman SM, Young LJ. Comparative Perspectives on Oxytocin and Vasopressin Receptor Research in Rodents and Primates: Translational Implications. J Neuroendocrinol 2016; 28. [PMID: 26940141 PMCID: PMC4886472 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2015] [Revised: 02/01/2016] [Accepted: 03/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
In the last several decades, sophisticated experimental techniques have been used to determine the neurobiology of the oxytocin and vasopressin systems in rodents. Using a suite of methodologies, including electrophysiology, site-specific selective pharmacology, receptor autoradiography, in vivo microdialysis, and genetic and optogenetic manipulations, we have gained unprecedented knowledge about how these neuropeptides engage neural circuits to regulate behaviour, particularly social behaviour. Based on this foundation of information from rodent studies, we have started generating new hypotheses and frameworks about how the oxytocin and vasopressin systems could be acting in humans to influence social cognition. However, despite the recent inundation of publications using intranasal oxytocin in humans, we still know very little about the neurophysiology of the oxytocin system in primates more broadly. Furthermore, the design and analysis of these human studies have remained largely uninformed of the potential neurobiological mechanisms underlying their findings. Although the methods available for studying the oxytocin and vasopressin systems in humans are incredibly limited as a result of practical and ethical considerations, there is great potential to fill the gaps in our knowledge by developing better nonhuman primate models of social functioning. Behavioural pharmacology and receptor autoradiography have been used to study the oxytocin and vasopressin systems in nonhuman primates, and there is now great potential to broaden our understanding of the neurobiology of these systems. In this review, we discuss comparative findings in receptor distributions in rodents and primates, with perspectives on the functionality of conserved regions of expression in these distinct mammalian clades. We also identify specific ways that established technologies can be used to answer basic research questions in primates. Finally, we highlight areas of future research in nonhuman primates that are experimentally poised to yield critical insights into the anatomy, physiology and behavioural effects of the oxytocin system, given its remarkable translational potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara M Freeman
- Department of Psychology, California National Primate Research Center, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Larry J Young
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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Lane A, Luminet O, Nave G, Mikolajczak M. Is there a Publication Bias in Behavioural Intranasal Oxytocin Research on Humans? Opening the File Drawer of One Laboratory. J Neuroendocrinol 2016; 28. [PMID: 26991328 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2015] [Revised: 03/09/2016] [Accepted: 03/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The neurohormone oxytocin (OT) has been one the most studied peptides in behavioural sciences over the past two decades. Primarily known for its crucial role in labour and lactation, a rapidly growing literature suggests that intranasal OT (IN-OT) may also play a role in the emotional and social lives of humans. However, the lack of a convincing theoretical framework explaining the effects of IN-OT that would also allow the prediction of which moderators exert their effects and when has raised healthy skepticism regarding the robustness of human behavioural IN-OT research. Poor knowledge of the exact pharmacokinetic properties of OT, as well as crucial statistical and methodological issues and the absence of direct replication efforts, may have lead to a publication bias in the IN-OT literature, with many unpublished studies with null results remaining buried in laboratory drawers. Is there a file drawer problem in IN-OT research? If this is the case, it may also be true in our own laboratory. The present study aims to answer this question, document the extent of the problem and discuss its implications for OT research. For eight studies (including 13 dependent variables overall, as assessed through 25 different paradigms) performed in our laboratory between 2009 and 2014 on 453 subjects, the results obtained were too often not those that were expected. Only five publications emerged from our studies and only one of these reported a null finding. After realising that our publication portfolio has become less and less representative of our actual findings and because the nonpublication of our data might contribute to generating a publication bias in IN-OT research, we decided to retrieve these studies from our drawer and encourage other laboratories to do the same.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Lane
- Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain - UCL, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium
- National Fund for Scientific Research - FNRS, Brussels, Belgium
| | - O Luminet
- Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain - UCL, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium
- National Fund for Scientific Research - FNRS, Brussels, Belgium
| | - G Nave
- California Institute of Technology, Computation & Neural Systems, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - M Mikolajczak
- Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain - UCL, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium
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40
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Romero T, Onishi K, Hasegawa T. The role of oxytocin on peaceful associations and sociality in mammals. BEHAVIOUR 2016. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
There is currently substantial evidence indicating that oxytocin, a hypothalamus neuropeptide, modulates many forms of social behaviour and cognition in both human and non-human animals. The vast majority of animal research, however, has concentrated on maternal attachment and reproductive pair-bonds. In order to understand the neurochemical foundations of peaceful associations and sociality, oxytocin’s contribution to other types of social bonds, as well as to individual variation in sociality, should also be explored. Here, we summarise the most current studies that have investigated oxytocin’s role in regulating stable peaceful associations not directly related to mating. We also provide an overview on oxytocin’s role in support of specific social structures, and propose a novel research approach to evaluate the relationship between individual variation in social tendencies and variation in the oxytociergic system. We conclude by discussing avenues of future investigation in the biological substrates of sociality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Romero
- aDepartment of Cognitive and Behavioral Science, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
| | - Kenji Onishi
- aDepartment of Cognitive and Behavioral Science, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
- bGraduate School of Human Sciences, Osaka University, 1-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
- cJapan Society for the Promotion of Science, 5-3-1 Kojimachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0083, Japan
| | - Toshikazu Hasegawa
- aDepartment of Cognitive and Behavioral Science, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
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Chang SWC, Fagan NA, Toda K, Utevsky AV, Pearson JM, Platt ML. Neural mechanisms of social decision-making in the primate amygdala. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:16012-7. [PMID: 26668400 PMCID: PMC4702988 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1514761112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Social decisions require evaluation of costs and benefits to oneself and others. Long associated with emotion and vigilance, the amygdala has recently been implicated in both decision-making and social behavior. The amygdala signals reward and punishment, as well as facial expressions and the gaze of others. Amygdala damage impairs social interactions, and the social neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) influences human social decisions, in part, by altering amygdala function. Here we show in monkeys playing a modified dictator game, in which one individual can donate or withhold rewards from another, that basolateral amygdala (BLA) neurons signaled social preferences both across trials and across days. BLA neurons mirrored the value of rewards delivered to self and others when monkeys were free to choose but not when the computer made choices for them. We also found that focal infusion of OT unilaterally into BLA weakly but significantly increased both the frequency of prosocial decisions and attention to recipients for context-specific prosocial decisions, endorsing the hypothesis that OT regulates social behavior, in part, via amygdala neuromodulation. Our findings demonstrate both neurophysiological and neuroendocrinological connections between primate amygdala and social decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steve W C Chang
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520; Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510;
| | | | - Koji Toda
- Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710; Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo 102-0083, Japan
| | - Amanda V Utevsky
- Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710
| | - John M Pearson
- Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710
| | - Michael L Platt
- Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710; Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710; Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104; Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104; Marketing Department, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
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Baribeau DA, Anagnostou E. Oxytocin and vasopressin: linking pituitary neuropeptides and their receptors to social neurocircuits. Front Neurosci 2015; 9:335. [PMID: 26441508 PMCID: PMC4585313 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2015.00335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2015] [Accepted: 09/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxytocin and vasopressin are pituitary neuropeptides that have been shown to affect social processes in mammals. There is growing interest in these molecules and their receptors as potential precipitants of, and/or treatments for, social deficits in neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder. Numerous behavioral-genetic studies suggest that there is an association between these peptides and individual social abilities; however, an explanatory model that links hormonal activity at the receptor level to complex human behavior remains elusive. The following review summarizes the known associations between the oxytocin and vasopressin neuropeptide systems and social neurocircuits in the brain. Following a micro- to macro- level trajectory, current literature on the synthesis and secretion of these peptides, and the structure, function and distribution of their respective receptors is first surveyed. Next, current models regarding the mechanism of action of these peptides on microcircuitry and other neurotransmitter systems are discussed. Functional neuroimaging evidence on the acute effects of exogenous administration of these peptides on brain activity is then reviewed. Overall, a model in which the local neuromodulatory effects of pituitary neuropeptides on brainstem and basal forebrain regions strengthen signaling within social neurocircuits proves appealing. However, these findings are derived from animal models; more research is needed to clarify the relevance of these mechanisms to human behavior and treatment of social deficits in neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Evdokia Anagnostou
- Autism Research Centre, Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital Toronto, ON, Canada
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