The neuropeptide oxytocin has received a lot of attention in the last decade for its
effects on social cognition and behavior. Evidence has been reported across species
that oxytocin may increase social approach and adaptation by reducing anxiety and
stress in social interactions, shifting attention from negative to positive social
cues, and increasing attractiveness and trust within partnerships or in groups (
1
). In human studies, oxytocin has most often been administered intranasally to a group
of healthy (predominantly) male volunteers or patients with deficits in social cognition
and behavior, such as autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, social phobia, or borderline
personality disorder, who had to perform experimental tasks (e.g., assessing facial
affect recognition, emotion processing, trust, cooperation, or empathy) (
2
). The effects of oxytocin have been interpreted by comparing task performances or
brain activations in the oxytocin condition with a placebo condition in either a within-subject
or a group design. These studies have pointed out numerous promising effects that
have generated not only large scientific interest but also attention from popular
media, which started calling oxytocin the “love” or “cuddle” hormone. In addition,
many review articles appeared underlining the promises these first results raised,
particularly with regard to new developments of psychopharmacologic treatments for
patients with severe deficits in social cognition and behavior.To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
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References
- The social salience hypothesis of oxytocin.Biol Psychiatry. 2016; 79: 194-202
- A new perspective on the pathophysiology of borderline personality disorder: A model of the role of oxytocin.Am J Psychiatry. 2015; 172: 840-851
- Statistical and methodological considerations for the interpretation of intranasal oxytocin studies.Biol Psychiatry. 2016; 79: 251-257
- Do delivery routes of intranasally administered oxytocin account for observed effects on social cognition and behavior? A two-level model.Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2015; 49: 182-192
- Immunohistochemical localization of oxytocin receptors in human brain.Neuroscience. 2013; 253: 155-164
- Assembling the puzzle: Pathways of oxytocin signaling in the brain.Biol Psychiatry. 2016; 79: 155-164
- Elevated cerebrospinal fluid and blood concentrations of oxytocin following its intranasal administration in humans.Sci Rep. 2013; 3: 3440
- A spatiotemporal profile of in vivo cerebral blood flow changes following intranasal oxytocin in humans.Biol Psychiatry. 2016; 79: 693-705
- Intranasal insulin increases regional cerebral blood flow in the insular cortex in men independently of cortisol manipulation.Hum Brain Mapp. 2014; 35: 1944-1956
- Oxytocin receptor genetic and epigenetic variations: Association with child abuse and adult psychiatric symptoms.Child Dev. 2016; 87: 122-134
Article Info
Publication History
Accepted:
February 4,
2016
Received:
February 3,
2016
Identification
Copyright
© 2016 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
