The role of central oxytocin in obsessive compulsive disorder and related normal behavior

Leckman, James F.; Goodman, Wayne K.; North, William G.; Chappell, Phillip B.; Price, Lawrence H.; Pauls, David L.; Anderson, George M.; Riddle, Mark A.; McDougle, Christopher J.; Barr, Linda C.; Cohen, Donald J.

doi:10.1016/0306-4530(94)90021-3

Cited by 119 publications

(65 citation statements)

References 196 publications

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“…A range of symptomatology found in OCD patients, example, those related to contamination obsessions and washing, and those not related to tics, is congruent with a number of behavioral effects seen after the central administration of OT in animal models. 76 Leckman et al 24 had not only observed increase of OT levels in the CSF of patients with OCD without tics, but also a significant correlation between the concentrations of OT and the severity of the obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Moreover, OCD includes cognitive and behavioral symptoms similar to those induced through a central injection of OT in animals.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Neuroanatomical and cellular substrates of hypergrooming induced by microinjection of oxytocin in central nucleus of amygdala, an experimental model of compulsive behavior

et al. 2007

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Oxytocin (OT) is a neurosecretory nonapeptide synthesized in hypothalamic cells that project to the neurohypophysis as well as to widely distributed sites in the central nervous system. Central OT microinjections induce a variety of cognitive, sexual, reproductive, grooming and affiliative behaviors in animals. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) includes a range of cognitive and behavioral symptoms that bear some relationship with OT. Here, we study the neuroanatomical and cellular substrates of the hypergrooming induced by administration of OT in the central nucleus of amygdala (CeA). In this context, this hypergrooming is considered as a model of compulsive behavior. Our data suggest a link between the CeA and the hypothalamic grooming area (HGA). The HGA includes parts of the paraventricular nucleus and the dorsal hypothalamic area. Our data on colocalization of OT (immunohistochemistry for peptide), OT receptor (binding assay) and its retrogradely labeled cells after Fluoro-Gold injection in the CeA suggest that CeA and connections are important substrates of the circuit underlying this OT-dependent compulsive behavioral pattern.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Neuroanatomical and cellular substrates of hypergrooming induced by microinjection of oxytocin in central nucleus of amygdala, an experimental model of compulsive behavior

et al. 2007

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“…Given the mnemonic effects of OT and AVP reported by some studies mentioned above, and the possible role of both peptides in self-grooming behavior in animals [107,125], it has been suggested that OCD symptoms might be associated with alterations in central OT and AVP (cf. [96]). This idea stimulated several clinical studies on OT and AVP in OCD, which produced mixed results.…”

Section: Obsessive-compulsive Disordermentioning

confidence: 99%

Oxytocin, vasopressin, and human social behavior

Heinrichs

Dawans

Domes

2009

Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology

706

481

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Oxytocin, vasopressin, and human social behavior Heinrichs, M;von Dawans, B;von Dawans, B; Domes, G (2009 There is substantial evidence from animal research indicating a key role of the neuropeptides oxytocin (OT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) in the regulation of complex social cognition and behavior. As social interaction permeates the whole of human society, and the fundamental ability to form attachment is indispensable for social relationships, studies are beginning to dissect the roles of OT and AVP in human social behavior. New experimental paradigms and technologies in human research allow a more nuanced investigation of the molecular basis of social behavior. In addition, a better understanding of the neurobiology and neurogenetics of human social cognition and behavior has important implications for the current development of novel clinical approaches for mental disorders that are associated with social deficits (e.g., autism spectrum disorder, social anxiety disorder, and borderline personality disorder). This review focuses on our recent knowledge of the behavioral, endocrine, genetic, and neural effects of OT and AVP in humans and provides a synthesis of recent advances made in the effort to implicate the oxytocinergic system in the treatment of psychopathological states. t r a c tThere is substantial evidence from animal research indicating a key role of the neuropeptides oxytocin (OT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) in the regulation of complex social cognition and behavior. As social interaction permeates the whole of human society, and the fundamental ability to form attachment is indispensable for social relationships, studies are beginning to dissect the roles of OT and AVP in human social behavior. New experimental paradigms and technologies in human research allow a more nuanced investigation of the molecular basis of social behavior. In addition, a better understanding of the neurobiology and neurogenetics of human social cognition and behavior has important implications for the current development of novel clinical approaches for mental disorders that are associated with social deficits (e.g., autism spectrum disorder, social anxiety disorder, and borderline personality disorder). This review focuses on our recent knowledge of the behavioral, endocrine, genetic, and neural effects of OT and AVP in humans and provides a synthesis of recent advances made in the effort to implicate the oxytocinergic system in the treatment of psychopathological states.

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“…While some meta-analyses (Griest et al, 1995;Stein et al, 1995) suggest that less selective serotonergic agents may be more efficacious in OCD, the fact that OCD patients with comorbid tics respond better on augmentation of SSRIs with antipsychotics also support the role of other factors in OCD. Although, researchers have investigated the role of the opioid system (Keuler et al, 1996) and neuropeptides like oxytocin and vasopressin (Altemus et al, 1992;Leckman et al, 1994) in OCD, the evidence has been equivocal.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Glutamatergic Dysfunction in OCD

Chakrabarty

Bhattacharyya

Christopher

et al. 2005

Neuropsychopharmacol

310

191

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The role of glutamatergic dysfunction in the pathophysiology of OCD has hardly been explored despite recent reports implicating glutamatergic dysfunction in OCD. We decided to investigate CSF glutamate levels in adult OCD probands compared to psychiatrically normal controls. In total, 21 consenting psychotropic drug-naïve adult OCD patients, diagnosed using SCID-IV-CV, and 18 consenting psychiatrically normal controls with age within 10 years of age of the patients, who did not have any history of head injury or neurological illness, were included into the study. Aseptically collected and stored CSF samples obtained from the patients and control subjects were used for glutamate estimation, which was carried out by a modification of the procedure described by Lund (1986). CSF glutamate (mmol/l) level was found to be significantly higher [F(1,31) ¼ 6.846, p ¼ 0.014] in OCD patients (47.1274.25) compared to control subjects (41.3673.63) on analysis of covariance. There was no effect of gender, age, duration of illness, Y-BOCS score, or CGI-S score on CSF glutamate levels. Our study provides preliminary evidence implicating glutamatergic excess in the pathophysiology of OCD, which needs to be further explored by studies from other centers involving larger sample sets from different age groups.

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The role of central oxytocin in obsessive compulsive disorder and related normal behavior

Cited by 119 publications

References 196 publications

Neuroanatomical and cellular substrates of hypergrooming induced by microinjection of oxytocin in central nucleus of amygdala, an experimental model of compulsive behavior

Neuroanatomical and cellular substrates of hypergrooming induced by microinjection of oxytocin in central nucleus of amygdala, an experimental model of compulsive behavior

Oxytocin, vasopressin, and human social behavior

Glutamatergic Dysfunction in OCD

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