Oxytocin enhances resting-state connectivity between amygdala and medial frontal cortex.
The 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.
Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2700, USA. sripada@umich.edu or pn254@cam.ac.uk
Chandra Sekhar
CS
Sripada
K Luan
KL
Phan
Izelle
I
Labuschagne
Robert
R
Welsh
Pradeep J
PJ
Nathan
Amanda G
AG
Wood
D000328:Adult; D000679:Amygdala / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012146:Rest / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
D010121:Oxytocin; D010100:Oxygen