title: Social approach and avoidance behaviour for negative emotions is modulated by endogenous oxytocin and paranoia in schizophrenia.
abstract: Patients with schizophrenia suffer from dysfunctional social behaviour. Social approach and avoidance (AA) has been associated with motor responses, as the affective valence and gaze direction of facial stimuli can bias push and pull motor tendencies. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of endogenous oxytocin in social AA behaviour in schizophrenia. Basal plasma oxytocin levels were collected from 28 patients who were then given a joystick-based Approach-Avoidance Task (AAT). Reaction times were recorded and AAT effect scores calculated for responses to happy and angry faces, which either had direct or averted gaze. Individual differences in basal oxytocin had a significant relationship with AAT responses, and patients with higher levels of oxytocin tended to avoid angry faces more. Furthermore, greater avoidance of angry faces was correlated with more severe psychotic (positive and general) symptoms and greater paranoia. This suggests that the endogenous effects of oxytocin may be specific to the interpretation of negative threatening emotions in schizophrenia patients, and also provides evidence that psychotic symptoms and paranoia can impact on social AA behaviour by heightening threat avoidance.
authors.affiliation: Maryland Psychiatric Research Centre, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. Electronic address: elliot.c.brown@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Elliot C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Üsküdar University, Istanbul, Turkey; Research Department of Cognitive Neuropsychiatry and Psychiatric Preventive Medicine, LWL University Hospital, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Cumhur
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tas
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Arel University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Duygu
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kuzu
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Celal Bayar University, Manisa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Aysen
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Esen-Danaci
authors.affiliation: Behavioural Science Institute and Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Roelofs
authors.affiliation: Research Department of Cognitive Neuropsychiatry and Psychiatric Preventive Medicine, LWL University Hospital, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brüne
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000786:Anger; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D001519:Behavior; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005149:Facial Expression; D005260:Female; D006240:Happiness; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010120:Oxytocics / Q000097:blood*; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000097:blood*; D010259:Paranoid Disorders / Q000097:blood*; D010554:Personality Disorders; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000187:drug effects; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000097:blood*; D012919:Social Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D010120:Oxytocics; D010121:Oxytocin
keywords: Oxytocin; Paranoia; Schizophrenia; Social behaviour; Threat avoidance