Effects of Intranasal Oxytocin on the Neural Basis of Face Processing in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Domes, Gregor; Heinrichs, Markus; Kumbier, Ekkehardt; Großmann, Annette; Hauenstein, Karlheinz; Herpertz, Sabine C.

doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2013.02.007

Cited by 219 publications

(187 citation statements)

References 68 publications

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“…In line with our findings, OT administration effects in left amygdala reactivity toward emotional faces have been found in healthy males (Gamer et al, 2010;Kirsch et al, 2005), healthy females (Domes et al, 2010) and male patients with Asperger's syndrome (Domes et al, 2014). On the other hand, OT administration effects on right-sided amygdala reactivity toward emotional faces has also been observed in healthy males (Domes et al, 2007;Petrovic et al, 2008), females with and without BPD (Bertsch et al, 2013) and males with Asperger's syndrome (Domes et al, 2013). Only one study (in male GSAD patients) found OT administration effects on bilateral amygdala reactivity (Labuschagne et al, 2010).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

“…OT administration resulted in enhanced amygdala reactivity toward happy faces in healthy males (Gamer et al, 2010), and toward fearful (Domes et al, 2010) and angry faces (Bertsch et al, 2013) and threatening scenes (Lischke et al, 2012) in healthy females. In addition, increased amygdala reactivity toward neutral faces was observed after OT administration in male patients with Asperger's syndrome (Domes et al, 2013(Domes et al, , 2014. Notably, we found that OT enhanced amygdala reactivity in both male and female trauma-exposed controls.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 46%

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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: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 46%

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

Koch

Zuiden

Nawijn

et al. 2015

Neuropsychopharmacol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Elevated oxytocin levels in both the CNS and periphery are most likely due to the direct effects of exogenous peptide administration, although it is impossible to rule out a contribution from endogenous oxytocin release (50). Finally, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have demonstrated that intranasal oxytocin produces changes in the activity of several brain areas in humans and macaques (49,56,57), thus supporting other findings of the CNS effects of this neuromodulator (58).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Inhaled oxytocin increases positive social behaviors in newborn macaques

Simpson

Sclafani

Paukner

et al. 2014

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Early caregiver-infant interactions are critical for infants' socioemotional and cognitive development. Several hormones and neuromodulators, including oxytocin, affect these interactions. Exogenous oxytocin promotes social behaviors in several species, including human and nonhuman primates. Although exogenous oxytocin increases social function in adults-including expression recognition and affiliation-it is unknown whether oxytocin can increase social interactions in infants. We hypothesized that nebulized oxytocin would increase affiliative social behaviors and such effects would be modulated by infants' social skills, measured earlier in development. We also hypothesized that oxytocin's effects on social behaviors may be due to its anxiolytic effects. We tested these hypotheses in a blind study by nebulizing 7-to 14-d-old macaques (n = 28) with oxytocin or saline. Following oxytocin administration, infants' facial gesturing at a human caregiver increased, and infants' salivary oxytocin was positively correlated with the time spent in close proximity to a caregiver. Infants' imitative skill (measured earlier in development: 1-7 d of age) predicted oxytocin-associated increases in affiliative behaviors-lip smacking, visual attention to a caregiver, and time in close proximity to a caregiver-suggesting that infants with higher propensities for positive social interactions are more sensitive to exogenous oxytocin. Oxytocin also decreased salivary cortisol, but not stressrelated behaviors (e.g., scratching), suggesting the possibility of some anxiolytic effects. To our knowledge, this study provides the first evidence that oxytocin increases positive social behaviors in newborns. This information is of critical importance for potential interventions aimed at ameliorating inadequate social behaviors in infants with higher likelihood of developing neurodevelopmental disorder.imitation recognition | neonatal imitation | individual differences

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“…A recent review pointed to the amygdala as one of the brain regions most consistently affected by the administration of OT (5). One fMRI study has used intranasal OT administration in adults with ASD, highlighting the right amygdala as a target of OT's effects (7). In animals, intranasal OT can excite neuronal populations in the amygdala (52), with different amygdala subregions mediating the variable impacts of OT on attention to affective social stimuli (53).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At the level of neural systems, intranasal OT heightens activity in a set of neuroanatomical structures involved in processing socially meaningful stimuli in typically developing adults (5,6). Recently, the first brain imaging study in adults with ASD examined the effects of OT administration and identified increased activation in the right amygdala during social information processing (7).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Oxytocin enhances brain function in children with autism

Gordon

Wyk

Bennett

et al. 2013

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

284

220

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Following intranasal administration of oxytocin (OT), we measured, via functional MRI, changes in brain activity during judgments of socially (Eyes) and nonsocially (Vehicles) meaningful pictures in 17 children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD). OT increased activity in the striatum, the middle frontal gyrus, the medial prefrontal cortex, the right orbitofrontal cortex, and the left superior temporal sulcus. In the striatum, nucleus accumbens, left posterior superior temporal sulcus, and left premotor cortex, OT increased activity during social judgments and decreased activity during nonsocial judgments. Changes in salivary OT concentrations from baseline to 30 min postadministration were positively associated with increased activity in the right amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex during social vs. nonsocial judgments. OT may thus selectively have an impact on salience and hedonic evaluations of socially meaningful stimuli in children with ASD, and thereby facilitate social attunement. These findings further the development of a neurophysiological systems-level understanding of mechanisms by which OT may enhance social functioning in children with ASD.A utism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common, early-onset neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by devastating difficulties in social interaction, communication, and repetitive or restricted interests and behaviors. ASD displays great phenotypic heterogeneity and etiological diversity, but its original characterization, social dysfunction, has been its hallmark and unifying feature (1). There is no established pharmacological treatment for social impairment in ASD.When given acutely, intranasal oxytocin (OT) leads to enhanced processing of social stimuli in typically developing adults, as evidenced by increased eye contact, in-group trust, and emotion recognition from facial expressions (2-4). At the level of neural systems, intranasal OT heightens activity in a set of neuroanatomical structures involved in processing socially meaningful stimuli in typically developing adults (5, 6). Recently, the first brain imaging study in adults with ASD examined the effects of OT administration and identified increased activation in the right amygdala during social information processing (7).Behavioral studies demonstrate that in children and adults with ASD, a single administration of intranasal OT leads to increased willingness to interact socially (8), better comprehension of affective speech (9), reduced repetitive behaviors (10), increased understanding of others' mental states (11), and improved social cognition (12). Despite cautionary calls regarding the use of OT in children to treat ASD before understanding the neural mechanisms underlying OT's complex impact on behavior (13), there have been no studies on the effects of OT administration on brain activity in children. Furthermore, although there are several large-scale clinical trials currently underway (www. clinicaltrials.gov) to examine the effects of chronically administered OT in ASD, the e...

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Effects of Intranasal Oxytocin on the Neural Basis of Face Processing in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Cited by 219 publications

References 68 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

Inhaled oxytocin increases positive social behaviors in newborn macaques

Oxytocin enhances brain function in children with autism

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