title: Preliminary evidence for the interaction of the oxytocin receptor gene (oxtr) and face processing in differentiating prenatal smoking patterns.
abstract: Prenatal smoking cessation has been described as an empathic action "for the baby," but this has not been empirically demonstrated. We capitalized on a genetically-characterized extant dataset with outstanding measurement of prenatal smoking patterns and maternal face processing data (as an indicator of empathy) to test this hypothesis, and explore how empathy and smoking patterns may be moderated by a genetic substrate of empathy, the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR). Participants were 143 Caucasian women from the East Boston family study with repeated prospective reports of smoking level, adjusted based on repeated cotinine bioassays. Salivary DNA and face processing (Diagnostic Analysis of Nonverbal Accuracy-2) were assessed 14 years later at an adolescent follow-up of offspring. Two-thirds of participants reported smoking prior to pregnancy recognition. Of these, 21% quit during pregnancy; 56% reduced smoking, and 22% smoked persistently at the same level. A significant interaction between face processing and OXTR variants previously associated with increased sensitivity to social context, rs53576GG and rs2254298A, was found (β = -.181; p = .015); greater ability to identify distress in others was associated with lower levels of smoking during pregnancy for rs53576(GG)/rs2254298(A) individuals (p = .013), but not for other genotypes (p = .892). Testing this "empathy hypothesis of prenatal smoking cessation" in larger studies designed to examine this question can elucidate whether interventions to enhance empathy can improve prenatal smoking cessation rates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 676 North Saint Clair Street, Suite 1000, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 633 North Saint Clair Street, 19th Floor, Chicago, IL, USA. Electronic address: suena.massey@northwestern.edu.
authors.forename: Suena H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Massey
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 633 North Saint Clair Street, 19th Floor, Chicago, IL, USA. Electronic address: restabrook@northwestern.edu.
authors.forename: Ryne
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Estabrook
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Illinois College, 1101 West College Avenue, Jacksonville, IL 62650, USA. Electronic address: tcobrien@northwestern.edu.
authors.forename: T Caitlin
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Affective & Developmental Neurosciences, NIMH Intramural Research Program, 15K North Drive, MSC-2670, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. Electronic address: pined@mail.nih.gov.
authors.forename: Daniel S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Pine
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 633 North Saint Clair Street, 19th Floor, Chicago, IL, USA. Electronic address: james-l-burns@northwestern.edu.
authors.forename: James L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, F256/2B West, 2450 Riverside Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55454, USA. Electronic address: sjacob@umn.edu.
authors.forename: Suma
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jacob
authors.affiliation: Institute for Juvenile Research, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1747 West Roosevelt Road, Chicago, IL, USA. Electronic address: edcook@uic.edu.
authors.forename: Edwin H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 633 North Saint Clair Street, 19th Floor, Chicago, IL, USA; Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, 2040 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA. Electronic address: lauriew@northwestern.edu.
authors.forename: Lauren S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Wakschlag
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004644:Emotions; D004645:Empathy; D005145:Face; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018811:Maternal Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000523:psychology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018045:Receptors, Oxytocin / Q000235:genetics*; D021641:Recognition, Psychology; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D014796:Visual Perception
chemical_list: C569600:OXTR protein, human; D018045:Receptors, Oxytocin
keywords: Cognitive empathy; Differential susceptibility; Nonverbal accuracy; Oxytocin receptor gene; Pregnancy smoking; Social cognition