wood-oxytocinmodulation-2015.pdf (450.81 kB)
Oxytocin modulation of amygdala functional connectivity to fearful faces in generalized social anxiety disorder
journal contribution
posted on 2015-01-01, 00:00 authored by S M Gorka, D A Fitzgerald, I Labuschagne, A Hosanagar, Amanda WoodAmanda Wood, P J Nathan, K L PhanThe neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) is thought to attenuate anxiety by dampening amygdala reactivity to threat in individuals with generalized social anxiety disorder (GSAD). Because the brain is organized into networks of interconnected areas, it is likely that OXT impacts functional coupling between the amygdala and other socio-emotional areas of the brain. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to examine the effects of OXT on amygdala functional connectivity during the processing of fearful faces in GSAD subjects and healthy controls (HCs). In a randomized, double-blind, placebo (PBO)-controlled, within-subjects design, 18 HCs and 17 GSAD subjects performed a functional magnetic resonance imaging task designed to probe amygdala response to fearful faces following acute intranasal administration of PBO or OXT. Functional connectivity between the amygdala and the rest of the brain was compared between OXT and PBO sessions using generalized psychophysiological interaction analyses. Results indicated that within individuals with GSAD, but not HCs, OXT enhanced functional connectivity between the amygdala and the bilateral insula and middle cingulate/dorsal anterior cingulate gyrus during the processing of fearful faces. These findings suggest that OXT may have broad pro-social implications such as enhancing the integration and modulation of social responses.
History
Journal
NeuropsychopharmacologyVolume
40Issue
2Pagination
278 - 286Publisher
Nature Publishing GroupLocation
London, Eng.Publisher DOI
Link to full text
ISSN
0893-133XeISSN
1740-634XLanguage
engPublication classification
C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journalCopyright notice
2015, American College of NeuropsychopharmacologyUsage metrics
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