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Florkiewicz-Danel M, Zaręba K, Ciebiera M, Jakiel G. Quality of Life and Sexual Satisfaction in the Early Period of Motherhood-A Cross-Sectional Preliminary Study. J Clin Med 2023; 12:7597. [PMID: 38137665 PMCID: PMC10744264 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12247597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of the study was to assess the impact of breastfeeding-related fatigue and family support on the sexuality and quality of life of mothers during early motherhood. A cross-sectional preliminary study was conducted between 1 October 2021 and 15 May 2022 in 65 women being in early postpartum period. We used the authors' questionnaire developed for the purposes of the study; the Sexual Satisfaction Scale for Women-SSS-W; the Mell-Krat scale for women; and the General Health Questionnaire-GHQ28. A significant negative correlation was found between the age of the patients and the reduction in somatic symptoms (GHQ28 questionnaire) (r = -0.315, p = 0.011). Women working professionally achieved significantly higher results in the SSS-W contentment category (r = 0.313, p = 0.014). Frequent sexual activity reduced disorders in social functioning (the GHQ28 questionnaire) (r = -0.107, p = 0.283). Women who breastfed up to 5 times a day (p = 0.033) reached significantly higher SSS-W scores in terms of communication. The partner's help significantly contributed to higher sexual satisfaction in the aspect of compatibility (p = 0.004) and the overall level of satisfaction determined with the SSS-W questionnaire (p = 0.016). The presented study suggests that older mothers who are employed and supported by a partner have a higher level of contentment, sexual satisfaction and quality of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Florkiewicz-Danel
- Department of Nursing, Faculty of Rehabilitation, Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw, 00-968 Warszawa, Poland;
| | - Kornelia Zaręba
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences (CMHS), United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), Al Ain 17666, United Arab Emirates
| | - Michał Ciebiera
- 2nd Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center of Postgraduate Medical Education in Warsaw, 01-809 Warsaw, Poland;
- Warsaw Institute of Women’s Health, 00-189 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Jakiel
- 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center of Postgraduate Medical Education in Warsaw, 01-004 Warsaw, Poland;
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Carvalho Silva R, Pisanu C, Maffioletti E, Menesello V, Bortolomasi M, Gennarelli M, Baune BT, Squassina A, Minelli A. Biological markers of sex-based differences in major depressive disorder and in antidepressant response. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2023; 76:89-107. [PMID: 37595325 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2023.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023]
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) presents different clinical features in women and men, with women being more affected and responding differently to antidepressant treatment. Specific molecular mechanisms underlying these differences are not well studied and this narrative review aims at providing an overview of the neurobiological features underlying sex-differences in biological systems involved in MDD pathophysiology and response to antidepressant treatment, focusing on human studies. The majority of the reviewed studies were performed through candidate gene approaches, focusing on biological systems involved in MDD pathophysiology, including the stress response, inflammatory and immune, monoaminergic, neurotrophic, gamma-aminobutyric acid and glutamatergic, and oxytocin systems. The influence of the endocrine system and sex-specific hormone effects are also discussed. Genome, epigenome and transcriptome-wide approaches are less frequently performed and most of these studies do not focus on sex-specific alterations, revealing a paucity of omics studies directed to unravel sex-based differences in MDD. Few studies about sex-related differences in antidepressant treatment response have been conducted, mostly involving the inflammatory system, with less evidence on the monoaminergic system and sparse evidence in omics approaches. Our review covers the importance of accounting for sex-differences in research, optimizing patient stratification for a more precise diagnostic and individualized treatment for women and men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosana Carvalho Silva
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Claudia Pisanu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Maffioletti
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Valentina Menesello
- Genetics Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | | | - Massimo Gennarelli
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy; Genetics Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Bernhard T Baune
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Münster, Münster, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Melbourne Medical School, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia; The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Alessio Squassina
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, Italy; Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 2E2, Canada
| | - Alessandra Minelli
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy; Genetics Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy.
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Kunimi Y, Minami M, Muchanga SMJ, Eitoku M, Hayashi K, Fujieda M, Suganuma N, Maeda N. Exogenous oxytocin used to induce labor has no long-term adverse effect on maternal-infant bonding: Findings from the Japan Environment and Children's Study. J Affect Disord 2022; 299:37-44. [PMID: 34838605 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.11.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study investigated the association between exogenous oxytocin use for labor induction and adverse maternal-infant bonding (MIB). METHODS Data on 19 700 mother-infant pairs were collected, in which the infants were live-birth singletons, born in cephalic position and at >37 weeks of gestation; the drug used to induce labor was noted. Between 2011 and 2014, Japanese pregnant women were enrolled in a nationwide prospective birth cohort study, the Japan Environment and Children's Study. The Japanese version of the Mother-to-infant Bonding Scale (MIBS-J) was administered and demographic information was collected through medical record transcripts. MIBS-J scores were obtained at one month, six months, and one year after delivery. We estimated the risk of adverse MIB between use of oxytocin and other methods for labor induction using multiple linear regression analyses; interaction and mediation analyses to assess the relationship among MIBS-J scores also followed. RESULTS Exogenous oxytocin was used during labor on 15 252 (77.4%) participants. After adjusting for confounders, there were no significant differences in adverse MIB between groups for which exogenous oxytocin was used and not used for labor induction. LIMITATION The MIBS-J scores at one and six months were compiled using five instead of 10 questions. Moreover, detailed information was unavailable; for example, the questionnaire did not ask for the dosage and timing of the drugs used to induce labor. CONCLUSIONS Exogenous oxytocin is a safe and vital drug to induce labor, and has been shown in this study to have no significant impact on long-term adverse MIB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Kunimi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Nankoku, Kochi 7838505, Japan; Kunimi Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic, Kochi, Kochi 7800870, Japan
| | - Marina Minami
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Nankoku, Kochi 7838505, Japan
| | - Sifa Marie Joelle Muchanga
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Nankoku, Kochi 7838505, Japan; Department of International Trials, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Toyama 1628855, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masamitsu Eitoku
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Nankoku, Kochi 7838505, Japan.
| | - Kazutoshi Hayashi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kochi Health Sciences Center, Kochi, Kochi 7818555, Japan
| | - Mikiya Fujieda
- Department of Pediatrics, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Nankoku, Kochi, 7838505, Japan
| | - Narufumi Suganuma
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Nankoku, Kochi 7838505, Japan
| | - Nagamasa Maeda
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Nankoku, Kochi 7838505, Japan
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4
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Zhang K, Rigo P, Su X, Wang M, Chen Z, Esposito G, Putnick DL, Bornstein MH, Du X. Brain Responses to Emotional Infant Faces in New Mothers and Nulliparous Women. Sci Rep 2020; 10:9560. [PMID: 32533113 PMCID: PMC7293211 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-66511-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The experience of motherhood is one of the most salient events in a woman’s life. Motherhood is associated with a series of neurophysiological, psychological, and behavioral changes that allow women to better adapt to their new role as mothers. Infants communicate their needs and physiological states mainly through salient emotional expressions, and maternal responses to infant signals are critical for infant survival and development. In this study, we investigated the whole brain functional response to emotional infant faces in 20 new mothers and 22 nulliparous women during functional magnetic resonance imaging scans. New mothers showed higher brain activation in regions involved in infant facial expression processing and empathic and mentalizing networks than nulliparous women. Furthermore, magnitudes of the activation of the left parahippocampal gyrus and the left fusiform gyrus, recruited during facial expression processing, were positively correlated with empathic concern (EC) scores in new mothers when viewing emotional (happy-sad) faces contrasted to neutral faces. Taken together, these results indicate that the experience of being a mother affects human brain responses in visual and social cognitive brain areas and in brain areas associated with theory-of-mind related and empathic processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaihua Zhang
- Department of Electronic Science, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Plasma and Magnetic Resonance, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361000, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Department of Physics, School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Paola Rigo
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialisation, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Xueyun Su
- Department of Special Education, Faculty of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Mengxing Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Department of Physics, School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Zhong Chen
- Department of Electronic Science, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Plasma and Magnetic Resonance, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361000, China
| | - Gianluca Esposito
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Trento, Italy.,Psychology Programme, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Nanyang, Singapore
| | - Diane L Putnick
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Marc H Bornstein
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Xiaoxia Du
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Department of Physics, School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China.
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5
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Matsunaga M, Kikusui T, Mogi K, Nagasawa M, Ooyama R, Myowa M. Breastfeeding dynamically changes endogenous oxytocin levels and emotion recognition in mothers. Biol Lett 2020; 16:20200139. [PMID: 32486937 PMCID: PMC7336852 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2020.0139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Breastfeeding behaviours can significantly change mothers' physiological and psychological states. The hormone oxytocin may mediate breastfeeding and mothers' emotion recognition. This study examined the effects of endogenous oxytocin fluctuation via breastfeeding on emotion recognition in 51 primiparous mothers. Saliva oxytocin was assessed before and after the manipulation (breastfeeding or holding an infant), and emotion recognition tasks were conducted. Among mothers who breastfed daily, mothers with more increased levels of oxytocin after breastfeeding showed more reduced negative recognition and enhanced positive recognition of adult facial expressions. These oxytocin functions accompanying breastfeeding may support continued nurturing behaviours and also affect the general social cognition of other adults beyond any specific effect on infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michiko Matsunaga
- Department of Education, Kyoto University, Yoshida-honmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Takefumi Kikusui
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Veterinary Medicine, 1-17-71 Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara-shi, Kanagawa 252-5201, Japan
| | - Kazutaka Mogi
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Veterinary Medicine, 1-17-71 Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara-shi, Kanagawa 252-5201, Japan
| | - Miho Nagasawa
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Veterinary Medicine, 1-17-71 Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara-shi, Kanagawa 252-5201, Japan
| | - Rumi Ooyama
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Veterinary Medicine, 1-17-71 Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara-shi, Kanagawa 252-5201, Japan
| | - Masako Myowa
- Department of Education, Kyoto University, Yoshida-honmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
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Witteveen AB, Stramrood CAI, Henrichs J, Flanagan JC, van Pampus MG, Olff M. The oxytocinergic system in PTSD following traumatic childbirth: endogenous and exogenous oxytocin in the peripartum period. Arch Womens Ment Health 2020; 23:317-329. [PMID: 31385103 PMCID: PMC7244459 DOI: 10.1007/s00737-019-00994-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Birth experiences can be traumatic and may give rise to PTSD following childbirth (PTSD-FC). Peripartum neurobiological alterations in the oxytocinergic system are highly relevant for postpartum maternal behavioral and affective adaptions like bonding and lactation but are also implicated in the response to traumatic events. Animal models demonstrated that peripartum stress impairs beneficial maternal postpartum behavior. Early postpartum activation of the oxytocinergic system may, however, reverse these effects and thereby prevent adverse long-term consequences for both mother and infant. In this narrative review, we discuss the impact of trauma and PTSD-FC on normal endogenous oxytocinergic system fluctuations in the peripartum period. We also specifically focus on the potential of exogenous oxytocin (OT) to prevent and treat PTSD-FC. No trials of exogenous OT after traumatic childbirth and PTSD-FC were available. Evidence from non-obstetric PTSD samples and from postpartum healthy or depressed samples implies restorative functional neuroanatomic and psychological effects of exogenous OT such as improved PTSD symptoms and better mother-to-infant bonding, decreased limbic activation, and restored responsiveness in dopaminergic reward regions. Adverse effects of intranasal OT on mood and the increased fear processing and reduced top-down control over amygdala activation in women with acute trauma exposure or postpartum depression, however, warrant cautionary use of intranasal OT. Observational and experimental studies into the role of the endogenous and exogenous oxytocinergic system in PTSD-FC are needed and should explore individual and situational circumstances, including level of acute distress, intrapartum exogenous OT exposure, or history of childhood trauma.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. B. Witteveen
- Department of Midwifery Science/AVAG, Amsterdam Public Health research institute, Amsterdam UMC, location VUmc, Van der Boechorststraat 7, P.O. Box 7057, 1007 MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - C. A. I. Stramrood
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Amsterdam UMC, location AMC, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, 1105 AZ The Netherlands
| | - J. Henrichs
- Department of Midwifery Science/AVAG, Amsterdam Public Health research institute, Amsterdam UMC, location VUmc, Van der Boechorststraat 7, P.O. Box 7057, 1007 MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - J. C. Flanagan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, 67 President St., Charleston, 29425 SC USA
| | - M. G. van Pampus
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, OLVG, Oosterpark 9, Amsterdam, 1091 AC The Netherlands
| | - M. Olff
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, location AMC, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, 1105 AZ The Netherlands
- Arq Psychotrauma Expert Group, Nienoord 5, Diemen, 1112 XE The Netherlands
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7
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Xue SW, Wu HB, Zhang L, Zhang DX. Intranasal Oxytocin Increases Perceptual Salience of Faces in the Absence of Awareness. Psychiatry Investig 2020; 17:292-298. [PMID: 32200608 PMCID: PMC7176568 DOI: 10.30773/pi.2019.0130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 12/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The neuropeptide oxytocin has been found to improve human social cognition and promote prosocial behavior. However, it is still unclear about the mechanisms underlying these effects of oxytocin on neural processes, such as visual perception and awareness. Especially, it is still unclear whether oxytocin influences perceptual salience of social stimuli in the absence of awareness. METHODS In a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial we applied an interocular suppression paradigm and eye tracking methods to investigate the influence of intranasally administered oxytocin on perceptual salience of social stimuli. Suppression times and pupillometric data were measured during subjects being presented with gradually introduced pictures of social stimuli (neutral expression faces) or nonsocial stimuli (grayscale watch pictures) that were suppressed and invisible in 10 men who were administered 24 IU oxytocin and 10 men who were administered a placebo. RESULTS The results demonstrated that the oxytocin group perceived social stimuli more quickly accompanied by subsequent larger increasing pupil diameter than nonsocial stimuli, indicating an increased unconscious salience of social stimuli. CONCLUSION These findings provided new insights into oxytocin's modulatory role to social information processing, suggesting that oxytocin might enhance attentional bias to social stimuli even after removal of awareness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shao-Wei Xue
- Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, Institutes of Psychological Sciences and the Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.,Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hua-Bo Wu
- Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, Institutes of Psychological Sciences and the Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lanhua Zhang
- College of Medical Information and Engineering, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Tai'an, China
| | - De-Xuan Zhang
- Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, Institutes of Psychological Sciences and the Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
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8
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Lorenz TK, Ramsdell EL, Brock RL. A Close and Supportive Interparental Bond During Pregnancy Predicts Greater Decline in Sexual Activity From Pregnancy to Postpartum: Applying an Evolutionary Perspective. Front Psychol 2020; 10:2974. [PMID: 31998201 PMCID: PMC6966960 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
A common topic for advice given to parents after childbirth – both from relationship experts and popular media – is how to “bounce back” to one’s pre-pregnancy sexuality, with warnings that postpartum declines in sexual frequency will take a serious toll on one’s relationship. However, these admonishments may not accurately reflect the ways in which the unique reproductive context of pregnancy and the postpartum transition alter associations between sexual frequency and relationship quality. Evolutionary perspectives on reproductive strategies would suggest that in the postpartum context, decreased sexual activity would help target parental investment in the current offspring (rather than creating new offspring); however, if the parental relationship is lacking in intimacy and support, continued sexual activity may help seal the cracks in the bond. We tested this theory in a longitudinal dyadic study of changes in relationship quality and sexual frequency from pregnancy to 6 months postpartum among 159 heterosexual couples. We found that across three different measures of relationship quality taken from interviews and behavioral observation of couple interactions, higher relationship quality (i.e., greater support, intimacy, and responsiveness) predicted greater decline in sexual frequency whereas sexual frequency remained relatively stable in lower quality relationships. These findings suggest that, during the postpartum transition, decreased sexual frequency may not be a reliable signal of poor relationship quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tierney K Lorenz
- Department of Psychology and Center for Brain, Biology and Behavior, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, United States
| | - Erin L Ramsdell
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, United States
| | - Rebecca L Brock
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, United States
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9
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Dudin A, Wonch KE, Davis AD, Steiner M, Fleming AS, Hall GB. Amygdala and affective responses to infant pictures: Comparing depressed and non-depressed mothers and non-mothers. J Neuroendocrinol 2019; 31:e12790. [PMID: 31489723 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Revised: 08/31/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
In many mammalian species, new mothers show heightened positive responsiveness to infants and their cues when they give birth. As is evident from non-human and human studies, the amygdala is a brain region implicated in both the maternal and affective neural circuitry, and is involved in processing socioemotionally salient stimuli. In humans, infants are socially salient stimuli to women, and mothers in particular. Neuroimaging studies investigating the maternal response to infant cues have identified infant-related amygdala function as an important factor in maternal anxiety/depression, in the quality of mothering and in individual differences in the motivation to mother. The present study investigated the effects of maternal status and depression on the subjective affective response and amygdala responsiveness to unfamiliar infants using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Smiling infant pictures were used in a 2 × 2 design comparing four groups of women: mothers and non-mothers, with and without depression (total of 101 women: postpartum depression [PPD] = 32, non-PPD = 25, major depression [MDD] = 15, non-MDD = 29). We undertook an anatomically defined region of interest analysis of the amygdala response for a priori defined group comparisons. We found that mothers rated infants more positively than non-mothers and non-mothers rated non-infant stimuli (scenery) more positively than mothers. In the amygdala, we found that depression elevated response to smiling unfamiliar infants in mothers but had no effect in non-mothers. Within the depressed groups, mothers (PPD) showed an elevated amygdala response to unfamiliar smiling infants compared to depressed non-mothers. Hence, our results indicate that women with PPD show an enhanced amygdala response to affectively positive infant pictures but not to affectively positive (but non-salient) pictures of scenery. Women with depression outside of the postpartum period show no change in amygdala responsiveness to either stimulus categories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aya Dudin
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Kathleen E Wonch
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto at Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - Andrew D Davis
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour (PNB), McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Meir Steiner
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Women's Health Concerns Clinic, St Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Alison S Fleming
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto at Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - Geoffrey B Hall
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour (PNB), McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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10
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Lorenz TK, Cheng H, Heiman JR. Neural correlates of emotion processing comparing antidepressants and exogenous oxytocin in postpartum depressed women: An exploratory study. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0217764. [PMID: 31150502 PMCID: PMC6544275 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 05/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite common use of antidepressants to treat postpartum depression, little is known about the impact of antidepressant use on postpartum brain activity. Additionally, although oxytocin has been investigated as a potential treatment for postpartum depression, the interaction between antidepressants and exogenous oxytocin on brain activity is unknown. We explored postpartum depressed women's neural activation in areas identified as important to emotion and reward processing and potentially, antidepressant response: the amygdala, nucleus accumbens and ventral tegmental area. We conducted a secondary analysis of a functional imaging study of response to sexual, crying infant and smiling infant images in 23 postpartum depressed women with infants under six months (11 women taking antidepressants, 12 unmedicated). Participants were randomized to receive a single dose of oxytocin or placebo nasal spray. There was significantly higher amygdala activation to sexual stimuli than either neutral or infant-related stimuli among women taking antidepressants or receiving oxytocin nasal spray. Among unmedicated women receiving placebo, amygdala activation was similar across stimuli types. There were no significant effects of antidepressants nor oxytocin nasal spray on reward area processing (i.e., in the nucleus accumbens or ventral tegmental area). Among postpartum women who remain depressed, there may be significant interactions between the effects of antidepressant use and exogenous oxytocin on neural activity associated with processing emotional information. Observed effect sizes were moderate to large, strongly suggesting the need for further replication with a larger sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tierney K. Lorenz
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States of America
- Center for Brain, Biology and Behavior, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States of America
| | - Hu Cheng
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Julia R. Heiman
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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11
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Grace SA, Rossell SL, Heinrichs M, Kordsachia C, Labuschagne I. Oxytocin and brain activity in humans: A systematic review and coordinate-based meta-analysis of functional MRI studies. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2018; 96:6-24. [PMID: 29879563 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.05.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2018] [Revised: 04/20/2018] [Accepted: 05/23/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OXT) is a neuropeptide which has a critical role in human social behaviour and cognition. Research investigating the role of OXT on functional brain changes in humans has often used task paradigms that probe socioemotional processes. Preliminary evidence suggests a central role of the amygdala in the social cognitive effects of intranasal OXT (IN-OXT), however, inconsistencies in task-design and analysis methods have led to inconclusive findings regarding a cohesive model of the neural mechanisms underlying OXT's actions. The aim of this meta-analysis was to systematically investigate these findings. A systematic search of PubMed, PsycINFO, and Scopus databases was conducted for fMRI studies which compared IN-OXT to placebo in humans. First, we systematically reviewed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies of IN-OXT, including studies of healthy humans, those with clinical disorders, and studies examining resting-state fMRI (rsfMRI). Second, we employed a coordinate-based meta-analysis for task-based neuroimaging literature using activation likelihood estimation (ALE), whereby, coordinates were extracted from clusters with significant differences in IN-OXT versus placebo in healthy adults. Data were included for 39 fMRI studies that reported a total of 374 distinct foci. The meta-analysis identified task-related IN-OXT increases in activity within a cluster of the left superior temporal gyrus during tasks of emotion processing. These findings are important as they implicate regions beyond the amygdala in the neural effects of IN-OXT. The outcomes from this meta-analysis can guide a priori predictions for future OXT research, and provide an avenue for targeted treatment interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sally A Grace
- Centre for Mental Health, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Susan L Rossell
- Centre for Mental Health, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia; Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia; Psychiatry, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Markus Heinrichs
- School of Psychology, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Psychology, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany; Freiburg Brain Imaging Center, University Medical Center, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | | | - Izelle Labuschagne
- School of Psychology, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia
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Janeček M, Dabrowska J. Oxytocin facilitates adaptive fear and attenuates anxiety responses in animal models and human studies-potential interaction with the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) system in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST). Cell Tissue Res 2018; 375:143-172. [PMID: 30054732 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-018-2889-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Accepted: 07/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Despite its relatively well-understood role as a reproductive and pro-social peptide, oxytocin (OT) tells a more convoluted story in terms of its modulation of fear and anxiety. This nuanced story has been obscured by a great deal of research into the therapeutic applications of exogenous OT, driving more than 400 ongoing clinical trials. Drawing from animal models and human studies, we review the complex evidence concerning OT's role in fear learning and anxiety, clarifying the existing confusion about modulation of fear versus anxiety. We discuss animal models and human studies demonstrating the prevailing role of OT in strengthening fear memory to a discrete signal or cue, which allows accurate and rapid threat detection that facilitates survival. We also review ostensibly contrasting behavioral studies that nonetheless provide compelling evidence of OT attenuating sustained contextual fear and anxiety-like behavior, arguing that these OT effects on the modulation of fear vs. anxiety are not mutually exclusive. To disambiguate how endogenous OT modulates fear and anxiety, an understudied area compared to exogenous OT, we survey behavioral studies utilizing OT receptor (OTR) antagonists. Based on emerging evidence about the role of OTR in rat dorsolateral bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BNST) and elsewhere, we postulate that OT plays a critical role in facilitating accurate discrimination between stimuli representing threat and safety. Supported by human studies, we demonstrate that OT uniquely facilitates adaptive fear but reduces maladaptive anxiety. Last, we explore the limited literature on endogenous OT and its interaction with corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) with a special emphasis on the dorsolateral BNST, which may hold the key to the neurobiology of phasic fear and sustained anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Janeček
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, 60064, USA
| | - Joanna Dabrowska
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, 60064, USA. .,Department of Neuroscience, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, 60064, USA.
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Abstract
Accumulating research indicates oxytocin plays a significant role in regulating the behavioral and neurobiological responses to stress. Evidence from preclinical models suggests the effect of oxytocin on stress-responsivity appears to be dependent on individual characteristics, including sex. Although the interaction between oxytocinergic and stress systems has been widely studied in rodents, recent efforts have been made to examine the interface between these two systems in humans. This brief review examines how administration of oxytocin can influence the neuroendocrine, behavioral, and neural responses to stress, explores how sex may impact these effects, and provides considerations for future work.
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Wang D, Yan X, Li M, Ma Y. Neural substrates underlying the effects of oxytocin: a quantitative meta-analysis of pharmaco-imaging studies. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2018; 12:1565-1573. [PMID: 29048602 PMCID: PMC5647800 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsx085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2015] [Accepted: 06/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The hypothalamic peptide oxytocin (OT) is crucial in social adaptation and used to treat emotional and social deficits. Here, we conducted a systematic, quantitative meta-analysis of functional-MRI studies intranasally administering OT (IN-OT) to uncover neural substrates underlying the IN-OT effects and to elucidate differential IN-OT effects between healthy and clinical populations. Meta-analyses were conducted on 66 IN-OT fMRI studies, stratified by psychopathology, valence and sex. IN-OT increased bilateral amygdala, caudate head, and superior temporal activity in healthy individuals and increased dorsal anterior cingulate activity in patients. Moreover, IN-OT decreased amygdala activity in both patients and healthy individuals but did so to a greater degree in patients than healthy individuals. The OT-increased amygdala activity was only found on the negative social and affective processes, whereas the OT-decreased amygdala activity was mainly contributed by contrasts on negative-valenced processes. IN-OT increased parahippocampal activity and decreased amygdala activity during negative socio-affective processing. During positive socio-affective processes, IN-OT increased caudate head activity. This study indicates convergent neural substrates and the underlying neuropsychological mechanisms for IN-OT effects on social and affective processes. The common and different effects of IN-OT on patients and healthy individuals and the modulation of OT effects by valence have critical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danyang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Xinyuan Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Ming Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China
| | - Yina Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
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Singh F, Nunag J, Muldoon G, Cadenhead KS, Pineda JA, Feifel D. Effects of intranasal oxytocin on neural processing within a socially relevant neural circuit. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2016; 26:626-30. [PMID: 26727038 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2015.12.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2015] [Revised: 12/03/2015] [Accepted: 12/12/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Dysregulation of the Mirror Neuron System (MNS) in schizophrenia (SCZ) may underlie the cognitive and behavioral manifestations of social dysfunction associated with that disorder. In healthy subjects intranasal (IN) oxytocin (OT) improves neural processing in the MNS and is associated with improved social cognition. OT's brain effects can be measured through its modulation of the MNS by suppressing EEG mu-band electrical activity (8-13Hz) in response to motion perception. Although IN OT's effects on social cognition have been tested in SCZ, OT's impact on the MNS has not been evaluated to date. Therefore, we designed a study to investigate the effects of two different OT doses on biological motion-induced mu suppression in SCZ and healthy subjects. EEG recordings were taken after each subject received a single IN administration of placebo, OT-24IU and OT-48IU in randomized order in a double-blind crossover design. The results provide support for OT's regulation of the MNS in both healthy and SCZ subjects, with the optimal dose dependent on diagnostic group and sex of subject. A statistically significant response was seen in SCZ males only, indicating a heightened sensitivity to those effects, although sex hormone related effects cannot be ruled out. In general, OT appears to have positive effects on neural circuitry that supports social cognition and socially adaptive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiza Singh
- San Diego Veterans' Administration Healthcare System (SDVAHS), USA; Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of California at San Diego (UCSD), USA.
| | - Jason Nunag
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California at San Diego (UCSD), USA
| | - Glennis Muldoon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California at San Diego (UCSD), USA
| | - Kristin S Cadenhead
- San Diego Veterans' Administration Healthcare System (SDVAHS), USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of California at San Diego (UCSD), USA
| | - Jaime A Pineda
- Department of Cognitive Science, Division of Cognitive Neuroscience, University of California at San Diego (UCSD), USA
| | - David Feifel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California at San Diego (UCSD), USA
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Oxytocin and Social Adaptation: Insights from Neuroimaging Studies of Healthy and Clinical Populations. Trends Cogn Sci 2016; 20:133-145. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2015.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2015] [Revised: 10/28/2015] [Accepted: 10/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Kim P, Strathearn L, Swain JE. The maternal brain and its plasticity in humans. Horm Behav 2016; 77:113-23. [PMID: 26268151 PMCID: PMC4724473 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 177] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2015] [Revised: 08/03/2015] [Accepted: 08/07/2015] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
This article is part of a Special Issue "Parental Care". Early mother-infant relationships play important roles in infants' optimal development. New mothers undergo neurobiological changes that support developing mother-infant relationships regardless of great individual differences in those relationships. In this article, we review the neural plasticity in human mothers' brains based on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies. First, we review the neural circuits that are involved in establishing and maintaining mother-infant relationships. Second, we discuss early postpartum factors (e.g., birth and feeding methods, hormones, and parental sensitivity) that are associated with individual differences in maternal brain neuroplasticity. Third, we discuss abnormal changes in the maternal brain related to psychopathology (i.e., postpartum depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, substance abuse) and potential brain remodeling associated with interventions. Last, we highlight potentially important future research directions to better understand normative changes in the maternal brain and risks for abnormal changes that may disrupt early mother-infant relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pilyoung Kim
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, 2155 South Race Street, Denver, CO 80208-3500, United States.
| | - Lane Strathearn
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa, Center for Disabilities and Development, 100 Hawkins Drive 213F CDD, Iowa City, IA 52246-1011, United States.
| | - James E Swain
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychology and Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, 4250 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2700, United States.
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Ebner NC, Horta M, Lin T, Feifel D, Fischer H, Cohen RA. Oxytocin modulates meta-mood as a function of age and sex. Front Aging Neurosci 2015; 7:175. [PMID: 26441637 PMCID: PMC4565056 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2015.00175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2015] [Accepted: 08/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Attending to and understanding one’s own feelings are components of meta-mood and constitute important socio-affective skills across the entire lifespan. Growing evidence suggests a modulatory role of the neuropeptide oxytocin on various socio-affective processes. Going beyond previous work that almost exclusively examined young men and perceptions of emotions in others, the current study investigated effects of intranasal oxytocin on meta-mood in young and older men and women. In a double-blind between-group design, participants were randomly assigned to self-administer either intranasal oxytocin or a placebo before responding to items from the Trait Meta-Mood Scale (TMMS) about attention to feelings and clarity of feelings. In contrast to older women, oxytocin relative to placebo increased attention to feelings in older men. Oxytocin relative to placebo enhanced meta-mood in young female participants but reduced it in older female participants. This pattern of findings supports an age- and sex-differential modulatory function of the neuropeptide oxytocin on meta-mood, possibly associated with neurobiological differences with age and sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie C Ebner
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida Gainesville, FL, USA ; Cognitive Aging and Memory Program, Clinical Translational Research Program (CAM-CTRP), Institute on Aging, Department of Aging and Geriatric Research, University of Florida Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Marilyn Horta
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Tian Lin
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - David Feifel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Håkan Fischer
- Department of Psychology, Stockholm University Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ronald A Cohen
- Cognitive Aging and Memory Program, Clinical Translational Research Program (CAM-CTRP), Institute on Aging, Department of Aging and Geriatric Research, University of Florida Gainesville, FL, USA
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Gingnell M, Bannbers E, Moes H, Engman J, Sylvén S, Skalkidou A, Kask K, Wikström J, Sundström-Poromaa I. Emotion Reactivity Is Increased 4-6 Weeks Postpartum in Healthy Women: A Longitudinal fMRI Study. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0128964. [PMID: 26061879 PMCID: PMC4465482 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0128964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2014] [Accepted: 05/01/2015] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Marked endocrine alterations occur after delivery. Most women cope well with these changes, but the postpartum period is associated with an increased risk of depressive episodes. Previous studies of emotion processing have focused on maternal–infant bonding or postpartum depression (PPD), and longitudinal studies of the neural correlates of emotion processing throughout the postpartum period in healthy women are lacking. In this study, 13 women, without signs of post partum depression, underwent fMRI with an emotional face matching task and completed the MADRS-S, STAI-S, and EPDS within 48 h (early postpartum) and 4–6 weeks after delivery (late postpartum). Also, data from a previous study including 15 naturally cycling controls assessed in the luteal and follicular phase of the menstrual cycle was used. Women had lower reactivity in insula, middle frontal gyrus (MFG), and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) in the early as compared to the late postpartum assessment. Insular reactivity was positively correlated with anxiety in the early postpartum period and with depressive symptoms late postpartum. Reactivity in insula and IFG were greater in postpartum women than in non-pregnant control subjects. Brain reactivity was not correlated with serum estradiol or progesterone levels. Increased reactivity in the insula, IFG, and MFG may reflect normal postpartum adaptation, but correlation with self-rated symptoms of depression and anxiety in these otherwise healthy postpartum women, may also suggest that these changes place susceptible women at increased risk of PPD. These findings contribute to our understanding of the neurobiological aspects of the postpartum period, which might shed light on the mechanisms underlying affective puerperal disorders, such as PPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malin Gingnell
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- * E-mail:
| | - Elin Bannbers
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Harmen Moes
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jonas Engman
- Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sara Sylvén
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Alkistis Skalkidou
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Kristiina Kask
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Johan Wikström
- Department of Radiology, Oncology and Radiation Science, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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Gregory R, Cheng H, Rupp HA, Sengelaub DR, Heiman JR. Oxytocin increases VTA activation to infant and sexual stimuli in nulliparous and postpartum women. Horm Behav 2015; 69:82-8. [PMID: 25562711 PMCID: PMC4418634 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2014] [Revised: 11/02/2014] [Accepted: 12/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
After giving birth, women typically experience decreased sexual desire and increased responsiveness to infant stimuli. These postpartum changes may be viewed as a trade-off in reproductive interests, which could be due to alterations in brain activity including areas associated with reward. The goal of this study was to describe the roles of oxytocin and parity on reward area activation in response to reproductive stimuli, specifically infant and sexual images. Because they have been shown to be associated with reward, the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and nucleus accumbens (NAc) were targeted as areas of expected alterations in activity. Oxytocin was chosen as a potential mediator of reproductive trade-offs because of its relationship to both mother-infant interactions, including breastfeeding and bonding, and sexual responses. We predicted that postpartum women would show higher reward area activation to infant stimuli and nulliparous women would show higher activation to sexual stimuli and that oxytocin would increase activation to infant stimuli in nulliparous women. To test this, we measured VTA and NAc activation using fMRI in response to infant photos, sexual photos, and neutral photos in 29 postpartum and 30 nulliparous women. Participants completed the Sexual Inhibition (SIS) and Sexual Excitation (SES) Scales and the Brief Index of Sexual Function for Women (BISF-W), which includes a sexual desire dimension, and received either oxytocin or placebo nasal spray before viewing crying and smiling infant and sexual images in an fMRI scanner. For both groups of women, intranasal oxytocin administration increased VTA activation to both crying infant and sexual images but not to smiling infant images. We found that postpartum women showed lower SES, higher SIS, and lower sexual desire compared to nulliparous women. Across parity groups, SES scores were correlated with VTA activation and subjective arousal ratings to sexual images. In postpartum women, sexual desire was positively correlated with VTA activation to sexual images and with SES. Our findings show that postpartum decreases in sexual desire may in part be mediated by VTA activation, and oxytocin increased activation of the VTA but not NAc in response to sexual and infant stimuli. Oxytocin may contribute to the altered reproductive priorities in postpartum women by increasing VTA activation to salient infant stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Gregory
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, 1101 E. 10th St., Bloomington, IN 47405, USA; The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction, Indiana University, Morrison 313, 1165 E. Third St., Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Hu Cheng
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, 1101 E. 10th St., Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Heather A Rupp
- The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction, Indiana University, Morrison 313, 1165 E. Third St., Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Dale R Sengelaub
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, 1101 E. 10th St., Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Julia R Heiman
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, 1101 E. 10th St., Bloomington, IN 47405, USA; The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction, Indiana University, Morrison 313, 1165 E. Third St., Bloomington, IN 47405, USA.
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Crespi BJ. Oxytocin, testosterone, and human social cognition. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2015; 91:390-408. [PMID: 25631363 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2014] [Revised: 12/15/2014] [Accepted: 12/19/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
I describe an integrative social-evolutionary model for the adaptive significance of the human oxytocinergic system. The model is based on a role for this hormone in the generation and maintenance of social familiarity and affiliation across five homologous, functionally similar, and sequentially co-opted contexts: mothers with offspring, female and male mates, kin groups, individuals with reciprocity partners, and individuals within cooperating and competing social groups defined by culture. In each situation, oxytocin motivates, mediates and rewards the cognitive and behavioural processes that underlie the formation and dynamics of a more or less stable social group, and promotes a relationship between two or more individuals. Such relationships may be positive (eliciting neurological reward, reducing anxiety and thus indicating fitness-enhancing effects), or negative (increasing anxiety and distress, and thus motivating attempts to alleviate a problematic, fitness-reducing social situation). I also present evidence that testosterone exhibits opposite effects from oxytocin on diverse aspects of cognition and behaviour, most generally by favouring self-oriented, asocial and antisocial behaviours. I apply this model for effects of oxytocin and testosterone to understanding human psychological disorders centrally involving social behaviour. Reduced oxytocin and higher testosterone levels have been associated with under-developed social cognition, especially in autism. By contrast, some combination of oxytocin increased above normal levels, and lower testosterone, has been reported in a notable number of studies of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression, and, in some cases, higher oxytocin involves maladaptively 'hyper-developed' social cognition in these conditions. This pattern of findings suggests that human social cognition and behaviour are structured, in part, by joint and opposing effects of oxytocin and testosterone, and that extremes of such joint effects partially mediate risks and phenotypes of autism and psychotic-affective conditions. These considerations have direct implications for the development of therapies for alleviating disorders of social cognition, and for understanding how such disorders are associated with the evolution of human cognitive-affective architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard J Crespi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada
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Ebner NC, Kamin H, Diaz V, Cohen RA, MacDonald K. Hormones as "difference makers" in cognitive and socioemotional aging processes. Front Psychol 2015; 5:1595. [PMID: 25657633 PMCID: PMC4302708 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2014] [Accepted: 12/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Aging is associated with well-recognized alterations in brain function, some of which are reflected in cognitive decline. While less appreciated, there is also considerable evidence of socioemotional changes later in life, some of which are beneficial. In this review, we examine age-related changes and individual differences in four neuroendocrine systems-cortisol, estrogen, testosterone, and oxytocin-as "difference makers" in these processes. This suite of interrelated hormonal systems actively coordinates regulatory processes in brain and behavior throughout development, and their level and function fluctuate during the aging process. Despite these facts, their specific impact in cognitive and socioemotional aging has received relatively limited study. It is known that chronically elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol exert neurotoxic effects on the aging brain with negative impacts on cognition and socioemotional functioning. In contrast, the sex hormones estrogen and testosterone appear to have neuroprotective effects in cognitive aging, but may decrease prosociality. Higher levels of the neuropeptide oxytocin benefit socioemotional functioning, but little is known about the effects of oxytocin on cognition or about age-related changes in the oxytocin system. In this paper, we will review the role of these hormones in the context of cognitive and socioemotional aging. In particular, we address the aforementioned gap in the literature by: (1) examining both singular actions and interrelations of these four hormonal systems; (2) exploring their correlations and causal relationships with aspects of cognitive and socioemotional aging; and (3) considering multilevel internal and external influences on these hormone systems within the framework of explanatory pluralism. We conclude with a discussion of promising future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie C Ebner
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida Gainesville, FL, USA ; Department of Aging and Geriatric Research, University of Florida Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Hayley Kamin
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Vanessa Diaz
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Ronald A Cohen
- Department of Aging and Geriatric Research, University of Florida Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Kai MacDonald
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
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Cardoso C, Kingdon D, Ellenbogen MA. A meta-analytic review of the impact of intranasal oxytocin administration on cortisol concentrations during laboratory tasks: moderation by method and mental health. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2014; 49:161-70. [PMID: 25086828 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2014] [Revised: 07/07/2014] [Accepted: 07/14/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A large body of research has examined the acute effects of intranasal oxytocin administration on social cognition and stress-regulation. While progress has been made with respect to understanding the effect of oxytocin administration on social cognition in clinical populations (e.g. autism, schizophrenia), less is known about its impact on the functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis among individuals with a mental disorder. METHOD We conducted a meta-analysis on the acute effect of intranasal oxytocin administration on the cortisol response to laboratory tasks. The search yielded eighteen studies employing a randomized, placebo-controlled design (k=18, N=675). Random-effects models and moderator analyses were performed using the metafor package for the statistical program R. RESULTS The overall effect size estimate was modest and not statistically significant (Hedges g=-0.151, p=0.11) with moderate heterogeneity in this effect across studies (I(2)=31%). Controlling for baseline differences in cortisol concentrations, moderation analyses revealed that this effect was larger in response to challenging laboratory tasks that produced a robust stimulation of the HPA-axis (Hedges g=-0.433, 95% CI[-0.841, -0.025]), and in clinical populations relative to healthy controls (Hedges g=-0.742, 95% CI[-1.405, -0.078]). CONCLUSION Overall, oxytocin administration showed greater attenuation of the cortisol response to laboratory tasks that strongly activated the HPA-axis, relative to tasks that did not. The effect was more robust among clinical populations, suggesting possible increased sensitivity to oxytocin among those with a clinical diagnosis and concomitant social difficulties. These data support the view that oxytocin may play an important role in HPA dysfunction associated with psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Cardoso
- Centre for Research in Human Development, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada H4B 1R6.
| | - Danielle Kingdon
- Centre for Research in Human Development, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada H4B 1R6
| | - Mark A Ellenbogen
- Centre for Research in Human Development, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada H4B 1R6
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Borrow AP, Cameron NM. Estrogenic mediation of serotonergic and neurotrophic systems: implications for female mood disorders. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2014; 54:13-25. [PMID: 24865152 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2014.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2014] [Revised: 05/13/2014] [Accepted: 05/14/2014] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Clinical research has demonstrated a significant sex difference in the occurrence of depressive disorders. Beginning at pubertal onset, women report a higher incidence of depression than men. Women are also vulnerable to the development of depressive disorders such as premenstrual dysphoric disorder, postpartum depression, and perimenopausal depression. These disorders are associated with reproductive stages involving changes in gonadal hormone levels. Specifically, female depression and female affective behaviors are influenced by estradiol levels. This review argues two major mechanisms by which estrogens influence depression and depressive-like behavior: through interactions with neurotrophic factors and through an influence on the serotonergic system. In particular, estradiol increases brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels within the brain, and alters serotonergic expression in a receptor subtype-specific manner. We will take a regional approach, examining these effects of estrogens in the major brain areas implicated in depression. Finally, we will discuss the gaps in our current knowledge of the effects of estrogens on female depression, and the potential utility for estrogen receptor modulators in treatment for this disorder.
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Olza-Fernández I, Marín Gabriel MA, Gil-Sanchez A, Garcia-Segura LM, Arevalo MA. Neuroendocrinology of childbirth and mother-child attachment: the basis of an etiopathogenic model of perinatal neurobiological disorders. Front Neuroendocrinol 2014; 35:459-72. [PMID: 24704390 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2014.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2013] [Revised: 03/17/2014] [Accepted: 03/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
This review focuses on the neuroendocrine mechanisms in the mother and the newborn that are involved in the generation and consolidation of mother-child attachment. The role that different hormones and neurotransmitters play on the regulation of these mechanisms during parturition, the immediate postpartum period and lactation is discussed. Interferences in the initiation of mother-child attachment may have potential long-term effects for the behavior and affection of the newborn. Therefore, the possible consequences of alterations in the physiological neuroendocrine mechanisms of attachment, caused by elective Cesarean section, intrapartum hormonal manipulations, preterm delivery, mother-infant postpartum separation and bottle-feeding instead of breastfeeding are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ibone Olza-Fernández
- Department of Psychiatry, Autonomous University of Madrid, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Alfonso Gil-Sanchez
- Unidad Docente de Salud Mental de la Región de Murcia, Hospital General Universitario Santa María del Rosell de Cartagena, Murcia, Spain
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Lonstein JS, Maguire J, Meinlschmidt G, Neumann ID. Emotion and mood adaptations in the peripartum female:complementary contributions of GABA and oxytocin. J Neuroendocrinol 2014; 26:649-64. [PMID: 25074620 PMCID: PMC5487494 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2014] [Revised: 07/22/2014] [Accepted: 07/23/2014] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Peripartum hormones and sensory cues from young modify the maternal brain in ways that can render females either at risk for, or resilient to, elevated anxiety and depression. The neurochemical systems underlying these aspects of maternal emotional and mood states include the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA and the neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT). Data from laboratory rodents indicate that increased activity at the GABA(A) receptor contributes to the postpartum suppression of anxiety-related behaviour that is mediated by physical contact with offspring, whereas dysregulation in GABAergic signalling results in deficits in maternal care, as well as anxiety- and depression-like behaviours during the postpartum period. Similarly, activation of the brain OXT system accompanied by increased OXT release within numerous brain sites in response to reproductive stimuli also reduces postpartum anxiety- and depression-like behaviours. Studies of peripartum women are consistent with these findings in rodents. Given the similar consequences of elevated central GABA and OXT activity on maternal anxiety and depression, balanced and partly reciprocal interactions between these two systems may be essential for their effects on maternal emotional and mood states, in addition to other aspects of postpartum behaviour and physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- J S Lonstein
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
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Saito A, Hamada H, Kikusui T, Mogi K, Nagasawa M, Mitsui S, Higuchi T, Hasegawa T, Hiraki K. Urinary oxytocin positively correlates with performance in facial visual search in unmarried males, without specific reaction to infant face. Front Neurosci 2014; 8:217. [PMID: 25120420 PMCID: PMC4114186 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2014.00217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2014] [Accepted: 07/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The neuropeptide oxytocin plays a central role in prosocial and parental behavior in non-human mammals as well as humans. It has been suggested that oxytocin may affect visual processing of infant faces and emotional reaction to infants. Healthy male volunteers (N = 13) were tested for their ability to detect infant or adult faces among adult or infant faces (facial visual search task). Urine samples were collected from all participants before the study to measure the concentration of oxytocin. Urinary oxytocin positively correlated with performance in the facial visual search task. However, task performance and its correlation with oxytocin concentration did not differ between infant faces and adult faces. Our data suggests that endogenous oxytocin is related to facial visual cognition, but does not promote infant-specific responses in unmarried men who are not fathers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsuko Saito
- Department of Cognitive and Behavioral Science, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroki Hamada
- Department of General Systems Studies, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takefumi Kikusui
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Azabu University Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Kazutaka Mogi
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Azabu University Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Miho Nagasawa
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Azabu University Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Shohei Mitsui
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Azabu University Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Takashi Higuchi
- Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui Fukui, Japan
| | - Toshikazu Hasegawa
- Department of Cognitive and Behavioral Science, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuo Hiraki
- Department of General Systems Studies, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo Tokyo, Japan ; JST, CREST Tokyo, Japan
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Preckel K, Scheele D, Kendrick KM, Maier W, Hurlemann R. Oxytocin facilitates social approach behavior in women. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:191. [PMID: 24904342 PMCID: PMC4034412 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2014] [Accepted: 05/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In challenging environments including both numerous threats and scarce resources, the survival of an organism depends on its ability to quickly escape from dangers and to seize opportunities to gain rewards. The phylogenetically ancient neurohormonal oxytocin (OXT) system has been shown to influence both approach and avoidance (AA) behavior in men, but evidence for comparable effects in women is still lacking. We thus conducted a series of pharmacological behavioral experiments in a randomized double-blind study involving 76 healthy heterosexual women treated with either OXT (24 IU) or placebo intranasally. In Experiment 1, we tested how OXT influenced the social distance subjects maintained between themselves and either a female or male experimenter. In Experiment 2, we applied a reaction time based AA task. In Experiment 3 we investigated effects on peri-personal space by measuring the lateral attentional bias in a line bisection task. We found that OXT specifically decreased the distance maintained between subjects and the male but not the female experimenter and also accelerated approach toward pleasant social stimuli in the AA task. However, OXT did not influence the size of peri-personal space, suggesting that it does not alter perception of personal space per se, but rather that a social element is necessary for OXT's effects on AA behavior to become evident. Taken together, our results point to an evolutionarily adaptive mechanism by which OXT in women selectively promotes approach behavior in positive social contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin Preckel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn Bonn, Germany ; Department of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn Bonn, Germany
| | - Dirk Scheele
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn Bonn, Germany ; Department of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn Bonn, Germany
| | - Keith M Kendrick
- Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Chengdu, China
| | - Wolfgang Maier
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn Bonn, Germany ; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Bonn, Germany
| | - René Hurlemann
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn Bonn, Germany ; Department of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn Bonn, Germany
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Advancing the discovery of medications for autism spectrum disorder using new technologies to reveal social brain circuitry in rodents. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2014; 231:1147-65. [PMID: 24522332 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-014-3464-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2013] [Accepted: 01/21/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental condition characterized by core differences and impairments in social behavioral functioning. There are no approved medications for improving social cognition and behavior in ASD, and the underlying mechanisms needed to discover safer, more effective medications are unclear. DISCUSSION In this review, we diagram the basic neurocircuitry governing social behaviors in order to provide a neurobiological framework for the origins of the core social behavioral symptoms of ASD. In addition, we discuss recent technological innovations in research tools that provide unprecedented observation of cellular morphology and activity deep within the intact brain and permit the precise control of discrete brain regions and specific cell types at distinct developmental stages. CONCLUSIONS The use of new technologies to reveal the neural circuits underlying social behavioral impairments associated with ASD is advancing our understanding of the brain changes underlying ASD and enabling the discovery of novel and effective therapeutic interventions.
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MacDonald K, Feifel D. Oxytocin's role in anxiety: a critical appraisal. Brain Res 2014; 1580:22-56. [PMID: 24468203 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2014.01.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2013] [Revised: 11/21/2013] [Accepted: 01/15/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
A growing literature suggests that the oxytocin (OT) system may play a role in human anxiety states, anxiety-related traits, and moreover, that this system may be a target for the development of novel anxiolytic treatments. However, studies of OT's acute and chronic effects on various aspects of anxiety have produced mixed results. In this forward-looking review, we discuss the myriad phenomena to which the term "anxiety" is applied in the OT literature and the problem this presents developing a coherent picture of OT's role in anxiety. We then survey several different fields of research that support the role of the OT system in human anxiety, including evolutionary perspectives, translational and neuroimaging research, genetic studies, and clinical trials of intranasal OT. As an outgrowth of this data, we propose a "bowtie" model of OT's role at the interface of social attachment and anxiety. We next direct attention to understudied brain regions and neural circuits which may be important to study in OT experiments in humans anxiety disorders. Finally, we conclude by proposing questions and priorities for studying both the clinical potential of OT in anxiety, as well as mechanisms that may underlie this potential. Crucially, these priorities include targeted proof-of-concept clinical trials of IN OT in certain anxiety disorders, including investigations of individual moderators of OT's anxiolytic effects (i.e. sex, genetic factors, and early experience). This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Oxytocin and Social Behav.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai MacDonald
- University of San Diego, Department of Psychiatry, 140 Arbor Drive, CA 92103, USA.
| | - David Feifel
- University of San Diego, Department of Psychiatry, 140 Arbor Drive, CA 92103, USA
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Kim S, Soeken TA, Cromer SJ, Martinez SR, Hardy LR, Strathearn L. Oxytocin and postpartum depression: delivering on what's known and what's not. Brain Res 2013; 1580:219-32. [PMID: 24239932 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2013.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2013] [Revised: 11/06/2013] [Accepted: 11/07/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The role of oxytocin in the treatment of postpartum depression has been a topic of growing interest. This subject carries important implications, given that postpartum depression can have detrimental effects on both the mother and her infant, with lifelong consequences for infant socioemotional and cognitive development. In recent years, oxytocin has received attention for its potential role in many neuropsychiatric conditions beyond its well-described functions in childbirth and lactation. In the present review, we present available data on the clinical characteristics and neuroendocrine foundations of postpartum depression. We outline current treatment modalities and their limitations, and proceed to evaluate the potential role of oxytocin in the treatment of postpartum depression. The aim of the present review is twofold: (a) to bring together evidence from animal and human research concerning the role of oxytocin in postpartum depression, and (b) to highlight areas that deserve further research in order to bring a fuller understanding of oxytocin's therapeutic potential. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Oxytocin and Social Behav.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sohye Kim
- Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Attachment and Neurodevelopment Laboratory, Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, 1100 Bates Street, Suite 4004, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Timothy A Soeken
- Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Sara J Cromer
- Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Sheila R Martinez
- Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Attachment and Neurodevelopment Laboratory, Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, 1100 Bates Street, Suite 4004, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Leah R Hardy
- Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Attachment and Neurodevelopment Laboratory, Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, 1100 Bates Street, Suite 4004, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Lane Strathearn
- Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Attachment and Neurodevelopment Laboratory, Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, 1100 Bates Street, Suite 4004, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA; The Meyer Center for Developmental Pediatrics, Texas Children's Hospital, 8080 N. Stadium Drive, Houston, TX 77054, USA.
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32
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Fischer-Shofty M, Shamay-Tsoory SG, Levkovitz Y. Characterization of the effects of oxytocin on fear recognition in patients with schizophrenia and in healthy controls. Front Neurosci 2013; 7:127. [PMID: 23882178 PMCID: PMC3714571 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2013.00127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2013] [Accepted: 06/30/2013] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals who suffer from schizophrenia often show a marked deficit in recognition of emotional facial expressions, as part of broader impairment of social cognition. Research has shown that recognition of negative emotions, specifically fear recognition, is particularly impaired among patients with schizophrenia. Recently we reported that intranasal administration of OT (IN OT) increased the ability to correctly recognize fear in a group of healthy men. The aim of the current study was to examine the effects of IN OT administration on fear recognition among patients with schizophrenia. Based on previous research, we also sought to examine a possible selective effect of OT dependent on baseline performance, hypothesizing that IN OT would have a greater enhancement effect on less proficient individuals. It was thus hypothesized that patients will show more improvement in fear recognition following the administration of IN OT as compared to controls. Sixty six participants (31 schizophrenia patients, 35 healthy controls) were enrolled in the current study. All participants received treatment of a single dose of 24 IU IN OT and an equivalent amount of placebo, 1 week apart. The participants' ability to accurately recognize fear and happiness was evaluated using a face morphing task. Overall, as a group, both patients and healthy control participants were more accurate in recognizing fearful facial expressions, but not happy faces, following IN OT administration, as compared to their performance following placebo. IN OT did not differentially affect emotion recognition in patients and healthy controls. Yet, the results indicated a selective effect for IN OT, in which the hormone improves fear recognition only among individuals whose baseline performance was below the median, regardless of their psychiatric status.
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Macdonald K, Feifel D. Helping oxytocin deliver: considerations in the development of oxytocin-based therapeutics for brain disorders. Front Neurosci 2013; 7:35. [PMID: 23508240 PMCID: PMC3597931 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2013.00035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2012] [Accepted: 02/28/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Concerns regarding a drought in psychopharmacology have risen from many quarters. From one perspective, the wellspring of bedrock medications for anxiety disorders, depression, and schizophrenia was serendipitously discovered over 30 year ago, the swell of pharmaceutical investment in drug discovery has receded, and the pipeline's flow of medications with unique mechanisms of action (i.e., glutamatergic agents, CRF antagonists) has slowed to a trickle. Might oxytocin (OT)-based therapeutics be an oasis? Though a large basic science literature and a slowly increasing number of studies in human diseases support this hope, the bulk of extant OT studies in humans are single-dose studies on normals, and do not directly relate to improvements in human brain-based diseases. Instead, these studies have left us with a field pregnant with therapeutic possibilities, but barren of definitive treatments. In this clinically oriented review, we discuss the extant OT literature with an eye toward helping OT deliver on its promise as a therapeutic agent. To this end, we identify 10 key questions that we believe future OT research should address. From this overview, several conclusions are clear: (1) the OT system represents an extremely promising target for novel CNS drug development; (2) there is a pressing need for rigorous, randomized controlled clinical trials targeting actual patients; and (3) in order to inform the design and execution of these vital trials, we need further translational studies addressing the questions posed in this review. Looking forward, we extend a cautious hope that the next decade of OT research will birth OT-targeted treatments that can truly deliver on this system's therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Macdonald
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego San Diego, CA, USA
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Macdonald KS. Sex, receptors, and attachment: a review of individual factors influencing response to oxytocin. Front Neurosci 2013; 6:194. [PMID: 23335876 PMCID: PMC3541513 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2012.00194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2012] [Accepted: 12/20/2012] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
As discussed in the larger review in this special issue (MacDonald and Feifel), intranasal oxytocin (OT) is demonstrating a growing potential as a therapeutic agent in psychiatry. Importantly, research suggests that a variety of individual factors may influence a person's response to OT. In this mini-review, I provide a review of three: (1) sex and hormonal status; (2) genetic variation in aspects of the OT system (i.e., OT receptors); and (3) attachment history. Each of these factors will be important to monitor as we strive to develop a richer understanding of OT's role in human development, brain-based disease, and the potential for individualized, OT-targeted treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai S Macdonald
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California Medical Center San Diego, CA, USA
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