Oxytocin levels in social anxiety disorder.
Oxytocin is a neuropeptide recently associated with social behavior in animals and humans, but the study of its function in populations with social deficits such as autism, schizophrenia, and social anxiety disorder has only recently begun. We measured plasma oxytocin in 24 patients with Generalized Social Anxiety Disorder (GSAD) and 22 healthy controls using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. There were no significant differences in oxytocin level (pg/mL) between patients (M=163.0, SD=109.4) and controls (M=145.0, SD=52.9, z=0.21, P=0.8). Within the GSAD sample, however, higher social anxiety symptom severity adjusted for age and gender was associated with higher oxytocin level (R2=0.21, beta=0.014, SE=0.006, t=2.18, P=0.04). In addition, dissatisfaction with social relationships was associated with higher oxytocin levels (R2=0.18, beta=-0.20, SE=0.10, t=-2.01, P=0.05). Our data provide preliminary support for a link between social anxiety severity and plasma oxytocin. These findings may suggest a possible role for oxytocin as a facilitator of social behavior, an effect which may not be fully utilized in individuals with severe social anxiety.
Hoge
Elizabeth A
EA
Department of Economics, Claremont University, Claremont, CA, USA. ehoge@partners.org
Pollack
Mark H
MH
Kaufman
Rebecca E
RE
Zak
Paul J
PJ
Simon
Naomi M
NM
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000097:blood*; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000097:blood*; D012016:Reference Values; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D012919:Social Behavior; D012931:Social Environment
D010121:Oxytocin
Psychol Med. 1999 Jan;29(1):199-212
10077308
Biol Psychiatry. 1999 Apr 1;45(7):931-3
10202583
Psychiatry. 1999 Summer;62(2):97-113
10420425
Behav Neurosci. 1999 Oct;113(5):1071-9
10571489
Nat Rev Neurosci. 2001 Feb;2(2):129-36
11252992
Am J Med Genet. 2001 Jan 8;105(1):53-4
11424998
Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2002 Aug;27(6):651-60
12084658
Horm Behav. 2003 May;43(5):549-53
12799171
Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1992 Jun 12;652:83-101
1385685
Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 1992 Nov;43(3):855-61
1448480
Science. 2005 Apr 8;308(5719):245-8
15821089
Nature. 2005 Jun 2;435(7042):673-6
15931222
Horm Behav. 2005 Dec;48(5):522-7
16109416
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2005 Nov 1;102(44):16096-101
16249339
J Neurosci. 2005 Dec 7;25(49):11489-93
16339042
Endocrinology. 2006 May;147(5):2423-31
16439458
Psychosom Med. 2006 Mar-Apr;68(2):238-45
16554389
J Autism Dev Disord. 2006 Oct;36(7):891-9
16865550
Clin Pract Epidemiol Ment Health. 2006 Oct 11;2:28
17034623
Curr Opin Psychiatry. 2007 Mar;20(2):158-62
17278915
Psychosom Med. 2007 Feb-Mar;69(2):149-57
17289829
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2007 Mar 13;104(11):4670-5
17360582
Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2007 May;32(4):407-10
17383107
Mol Psychiatry. 2008 Oct;13(10):980-8
17893705
Trends Endocrinol Metab. 1996 May-Jun;7(4):126-31
18406738
Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 1990 Sep;37(1):63-9
2263668
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1985 Jul;42(7):729-36
2861796
Brain Res. 1988 Jan 26;439(1-2):1-10
3359176
Prog Brain Res. 1983;60:101-14
6198686
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1994 Oct;51(10):782-92
7524462
Endocr Res. 1994 Feb;20(1):79-87
8168464
Psychopharmacol Bull. 1993;29(2):321-6
8290681
Psychiatry Res. 1993 Aug;48(2):107-17
8416021
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1996 Feb;53(2):137-43
8629889
Physiol Behav. 1996 Nov;60(5):1209-15
8916173
Biol Psychiatry. 1998 Feb 15;43(4):270-7
9513736
Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 1998 Aug;49(2):209-16
9828909
Psychoneuroendocrinology. 1998 Nov;23(8):819-35
9924739