title: Neuroticism modulates the effects of intranasal vasopressin treatment on the neural response to positive and negative social interactions.
abstract: Neuroticism is a fundamental personality trait associated with proneness to feel negative affect. Here we ask how Neuroticism influences the neural response to positive and negative social interactions and how Neuroticism modulates the effect of intranasal oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (AVP) on the neural response to social interactions. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 153 male participants were randomized to receive 24 IU intranasal OT, 20 IU AVP or placebo. Afterwards, they were imaged with fMRI while playing an iterated Prisoner's Dilemma Game. On a different day, subjects completed the NEO personality inventory to measure Neuroticism. Neuroticism was positively correlated with the neural response to negative social interactions in the anterior cingulate cortex/medial prefrontal cortex and with the neural response to positive social interactions in the insula, indicating that Neuroticism modulates neuropsychological processing of both negative and positive social interactions. Neuroticism did not modulate the effect of intranasal OT treatment on the neural response to either positive or negative social interactions. On the other hand, AVP treatment significantly interacted with Neuroticism to modulate the BOLD response to both positive and negative social interactions. Specifically, AVP increased anterior cingulate cortex/medial prefrontal cortex and lateral temporal lobe responses to negative social interactions to a greater extent in participants scoring high rather than low on Neuroticism. AVP also increased the insula response to positive social interactions to a greater extent in participants scoring high rather than low on Neuroticism. These results imply that AVP may increase emotion regulation in response to negative social interactions and the salience of positive social interactions to a greater extent in individuals high compared to low in Neuroticism. The current findings urge caution against uniform clinical application of nonapeptides and suggest that their efficacy may vary as a function of personality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, Emory University, United States; State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, China.
authors.forename: Chunliang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Kansas, United States.
authors.forename: Ashley C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: DeMarco
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, United States.
authors.forename: Ebrahim
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Haroon
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, Emory University, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, United States; Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Emory University, United States; Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, United States; Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, United States. Electronic address: jrillin@emory.edu.
authors.forename: James K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Rilling
mesh_terms: D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000293:Adolescent; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004644:Emotions / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D000075384:Neuroticism; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010556:Personality Tests; D000068956:Prisoner Dilemma; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014667:Vasopressins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; D014667:Vasopressins; D010121:Oxytocin; D010100:Oxygen
keywords: Cooperation; Neuroticism; Oxytocin; Vasopressin; fMRI