Abstract
Background
Animal and human studies highlight the role of oxytocin in social cognition and behaviour and the potential of intranasal oxytocin (IN-OT) to treat social impairment in neuropsychiatric disorders such as autism. However, extensive efforts to evaluate its central actions and therapeutic efficacy may be marred by the absence of data regarding its temporal dynamics and sites of action in the living human brain.
Methods
In a placebo-controlled study, we used arterial spin labeling to measure IN-OT induced changes in resting regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in 32 healthy men. Volunteers were blinded regarding the nature of the compound they received. rCBF data were acquired 15min before and up to 78min following treatment onset (40IU of IN-OT or placebo). The data were analysed using mass-univariate and multivariate PR techniques.
Results
We obtained robust evidence delineating an oxytocinergic network comprising regions expected to express oxytocin receptors, based on histological evidence, and including core regions of the brain circuitry underpinning social cognition and emotion processing. PR on rCBF maps indicated that IN-OT induced changes were sustained over the entire post-treatment observation interval (25-78min) and consistent with a pharmacodynamic profile showing a peak response at 39-51min.
Conclusions
Our study provides the first visualisation and quantification of IN-OT induced changes in rCBF in the living human brain unaffected by cognitive, affective, or social manipulations. Our findings can inform theoretical and mechanistic models regarding IN-OT effects on typical and atypical social behaviour and guide future experiments (e.g. regarding the timing of experimental manipulations).
Animal and human studies highlight the role of oxytocin in social cognition and behaviour and the potential of intranasal oxytocin (IN-OT) to treat social impairment in neuropsychiatric disorders such as autism. However, extensive efforts to evaluate its central actions and therapeutic efficacy may be marred by the absence of data regarding its temporal dynamics and sites of action in the living human brain.
Methods
In a placebo-controlled study, we used arterial spin labeling to measure IN-OT induced changes in resting regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in 32 healthy men. Volunteers were blinded regarding the nature of the compound they received. rCBF data were acquired 15min before and up to 78min following treatment onset (40IU of IN-OT or placebo). The data were analysed using mass-univariate and multivariate PR techniques.
Results
We obtained robust evidence delineating an oxytocinergic network comprising regions expected to express oxytocin receptors, based on histological evidence, and including core regions of the brain circuitry underpinning social cognition and emotion processing. PR on rCBF maps indicated that IN-OT induced changes were sustained over the entire post-treatment observation interval (25-78min) and consistent with a pharmacodynamic profile showing a peak response at 39-51min.
Conclusions
Our study provides the first visualisation and quantification of IN-OT induced changes in rCBF in the living human brain unaffected by cognitive, affective, or social manipulations. Our findings can inform theoretical and mechanistic models regarding IN-OT effects on typical and atypical social behaviour and guide future experiments (e.g. regarding the timing of experimental manipulations).
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 693–705 |
| Journal | Biological psychiatry |
| Volume | 79 |
| Issue number | 8 |
| Early online date | 18 Oct 2014 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 15 Apr 2016 |
Keywords
- oxytocin
- intranasal
- arterial spin labelling
- cerebral blood flow
- pharmacodynamics
- resting state
