wood-oxytocinenhances-2013.pdf (146.46 kB)
Download fileOxytocin enhances resting-state connectivity between amygdala and medial frontal cortex
journal contribution
posted on 2013-03-01, 00:00 authored by C S Sripada, K L Phan, I Labuschagne, R Welsh, P J Nathan, Amanda WoodAmanda WoodThe neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) plays an important role in complex socio-Affective behaviours such as affiliation, attachment, stress and anxiety. Previous studies have focused on the amygdala as an important target of OXT's effects. However, the effects of OXT on connectivity of the amygdala with cortical regions such as medial frontal cortex, an important mediator of social cognition and emotion regulation, remain unexplored. In a randomized, double-blind, cross-over design, 15 volunteers received intranasal OXT or placebo prior to resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. OXT significantly increased connectivity between both amygdalae and rostral medial frontal cortex (rmFC), while having only negligible effects on coupling with other brain regions. These results demonstrate that OXT is a robust and highly selective enhancer of amygdala connectivity with rmFC, a region critical to social cognition and emotion regulation, and add to our understanding of the neural mechanisms by which OXT modulates complex social and cognitive behaviours.
History
Journal
International journal of neuropsychopharmacologyVolume
16Issue
2Pagination
255 - 260Publisher
Oxford University PressLocation
Oxford, Eng.Publisher DOI
ISSN
1461-1457eISSN
1469-5111Language
engPublication classification
C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journalCopyright notice
2012, CINPUsage metrics
Categories
Keywords
AmygdalafMRImedial prefrontal cortexoxytocinresting-state connectivityScience & TechnologyLife Sciences & BiomedicineClinical NeurologyNeurosciencesPharmacology & PharmacyPsychiatryNeurosciences & NeurologyHUMAN BRAINNEURAL CIRCUITRYSOCIAL-BEHAVIORNEUROPEPTIDESFEARANXIETYDISORDERSRESPONSESEMOTIONAUTISM