A Spatiotemporal Profile of In Vivo Cerebral Blood Flow Changes Following Intranasal Oxytocin in Humans

Paloyelis, Yannis; Doyle, Orla; Zelaya, Fernando; Maltezos, Stefanos; Williams, Steven; Fotopoulou, Aikaterini; Howard, Matthew A.

doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2014.10.005

Cited by 159 publications

(177 citation statements)

References 141 publications

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“…An anatomical scan was first acquired, followed by an emotional face-matching task, which began on average 44.68 (±3.74) minutes after intranasal spray application. This is in line with previous intranasal fMRI studies (Kirsch et al, 2005;Labuschagne et al, 2010), and coincides with the pharmacodynamic peak response of intranasal OT in healthy individuals (Paloyelis et al, 2014).…”

Section: Methodssupporting

confidence: 92%

Intranasal Oxytocin Administration Dampens Amygdala Reactivity towards Emotional Faces in Male and Female PTSD Patients

Koch

Zuiden

Nawijn

et al. 2015

Neuropsychopharmacol

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Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a disabling psychiatric disorder. As a substantial part of PTSD patients responds poorly to currently available psychotherapies, pharmacological interventions boosting treatment response are needed. Because of its anxiolytic and pro-social properties, the neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) has been proposed as promising strategy for treatment augmentation in PTSD. As a first step to investigate the therapeutic potential of OT in PTSD, we conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over functional MRI study examining OT administration effects (40 IU) on amygdala reactivity toward emotional faces in unmedicated male and female police officers with (n = 37, 21 males) and without (n = 40, 20 males) PTSD. Trauma-exposed controls were matched to PTSD patients based on age, sex, years of service and educational level. Under placebo, the expected valence-dependent amygdala reactivity (ie, greater activity toward fearful-angry faces compared with happy-neutral faces) was absent in PTSD patients. OT administration dampened amygdala reactivity toward all emotional faces in male and female PTSD patients, but enhanced amygdala reactivity in healthy male and female traumaexposed controls, independent of sex and stimulus valence. In PTSD patients, greater anxiety prior to scanning and amygdala reactivity during the placebo session were associated with greater reduction of amygdala reactivity after OT administration. Taken together, our results indicate presumably beneficial neurobiological effects of OT administration in male and female PTSD patients. Future studies should investigate OT administration in clinical settings to fully appreciate its therapeutic potential.

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Section: Methodssupporting

confidence: 92%

Intranasal Oxytocin Administration Dampens Amygdala Reactivity towards Emotional Faces in Male and Female PTSD Patients

Koch

Zuiden

Nawijn

et al. 2015

Neuropsychopharmacol

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“…First, two task-based fMRI scans were conducted: an emotional face-matching task (Koch et al, 2015) and a monetary (Nawijn et al, 2016a) and social (Nawijn et al, 2016b) incentive delay reward task. Hereafter, the resting-state scan was conducted, which began on average 72.51 min (±4.03) after intranasal spray administration, when neuropharmacological OT administration effects on cerebral blood flow (Paloyelis et al, 2014) and elevated OT levels in cerebrospinal fluid (Striepens et al, 2013) are still observed. During resting-state scanning, participants were instructed to relax and let their mind wander, with open eyes.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intranasal Oxytocin Normalizes Amygdala Functional Connectivity in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Koch

Zuiden

Nawijn

et al. 2016

Neuropsychopharmacol

123

105

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The neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) has been suggested as a promising pharmacological agent for medication-enhanced psychotherapy in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) because of its anxiolytic and prosocial properties. We therefore investigated the behavioral and neurobiological effects of a single intranasal OT administration (40 IU) in PTSD patients. We conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over resting-state fMRI study in male and female police officers with (n = 37, 21 males) and without PTSD (n = 40, 20 males). We investigated OT administration effects on subjective anxiety and functional connectivity of basolateral (BLA) and centromedial (CeM) amygdala subregions with prefrontal and salience processing areas. In PTSD patients, OT administration resulted in decreased subjective anxiety and nervousness. Under placebo, male PTSD patients showed diminished right CeM to left ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) connectivity compared with male trauma-exposed controls, which was reinstated after OT administration. Additionally, female PTSD patients showed enhanced right BLA to bilateral dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) connectivity compared with female trauma-exposed controls, which was dampened after OT administration. Although caution is warranted, our findings tentatively suggest that OT has the potential to diminish anxiety and fear expression of the amygdala in PTSD, either via increased control of the vmPFC over the CeM (males) or via decreased salience processing of the dACC and BLA (females). Our findings add to accumulating evidence that OT administration could potentially enhance treatment response in PTSD.

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“…Neuroimaging studies in humans have shown that intranasal administration of oxytocin, which circumvents issues of peripherally administered hormone crossing the blood brain barrier (Tracy et al, 2015), results in increased regional cerebral blood flow in areas, such as the opercular-insula and anterior cingulate cortex, that are implicated in nociceptive processing and the pain experience (Paloyelis et al, 2016a;Treede et al, 1999).…”

Section: The Analgesic Effects Of Oxytocinmentioning

confidence: 99%

C-tactile afferents: Cutaneous mediators of oxytocin release during affiliative tactile interactions?

et al. 2017

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Low intensity, non-noxious, stimulation of cutaneous somatosensory nerves has been shown to trigger oxytocin release and is associated with increased social motivation, plus reduced physiological and behavioural reactivity to stressors. However, to date, little attention has been paid to the specific nature of the mechanosensory nerves which mediate these effects. In recent years, the neuroscientific study of human skin nerves (microneurography studies on single peripheral nerve fibres) has led to the identification and characterisation of a class of touch sensitive nerve fibres named C-Tactile afferents. Neither itch nor pain receptive, these unmyelinated, low threshold mechanoreceptors, found only in hairy skin, respond optimally to low force/velocity stroking touch. Notably, the speed of stroking which c-tactile afferents fire most strongly to is also that which people perceive to be most pleasant. The social touch hypothesis posits that this system of nerves has evolved in mammals to signal the rewarding value of physical contact in nurturing and social interactions. In support of this hypothesis, in this paper we review the evidence that cutaneous stimulation directly targeted to optimally activate c-tactile afferents reduces physiological arousal, carries a positive affective value and, under healthy conditions, inhibits responses to painful stimuli. These effects mirror those, we also review, which have been reported following endogenous release and exogenous administration of oxytocin. Taken together this evidence suggests c-tactile afferent stimulation may mediate oxytocin release during affiliative tactile interactions.

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A Spatiotemporal Profile of In Vivo Cerebral Blood Flow Changes Following Intranasal Oxytocin in Humans

Cited by 159 publications

References 141 publications

Intranasal Oxytocin Administration Dampens Amygdala Reactivity towards Emotional Faces in Male and Female PTSD Patients

Intranasal Oxytocin Administration Dampens Amygdala Reactivity towards Emotional Faces in Male and Female PTSD Patients

Intranasal Oxytocin Normalizes Amygdala Functional Connectivity in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

C-tactile afferents: Cutaneous mediators of oxytocin release during affiliative tactile interactions?

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