title: Intranasal Oxytocin Administration Dampens Amygdala Reactivity towards Emotional Faces in Male and Female PTSD Patients.
abstract: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a disabling psychiatric disorder. As a substantial part of PTSD patients responds poorly to currently available psychotherapies, pharmacological interventions boosting treatment response are needed. Because of its anxiolytic and pro-social properties, the neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) has been proposed as promising strategy for treatment augmentation in PTSD. As a first step to investigate the therapeutic potential of OT in PTSD, we conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over functional MRI study examining OT administration effects (40 IU) on amygdala reactivity toward emotional faces in unmedicated male and female police officers with (n=37, 21 males) and without (n=40, 20 males) PTSD. Trauma-exposed controls were matched to PTSD patients based on age, sex, years of service and educational level. Under placebo, the expected valence-dependent amygdala reactivity (ie, greater activity toward fearful-angry faces compared with happy-neutral faces) was absent in PTSD patients. OT administration dampened amygdala reactivity toward all emotional faces in male and female PTSD patients, but enhanced amygdala reactivity in healthy male and female trauma-exposed controls, independent of sex and stimulus valence. In PTSD patients, greater anxiety prior to scanning and amygdala reactivity during the placebo session were associated with greater reduction of amygdala reactivity after OT administration. Taken together, our results indicate presumably beneficial neurobiological effects of OT administration in male and female PTSD patients. Future studies should investigate OT administration in clinical settings to fully appreciate its therapeutic potential.
authors.affiliation: Academic Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.|Brain Imaging Center, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Saskia Bj
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Koch
authors.affiliation: Academic Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Mirjam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van Zuiden
authors.affiliation: Academic Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.|Brain Imaging Center, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nawijn
authors.affiliation: Academic Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.|Brain Imaging Center, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jessie L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Frijling
authors.affiliation: VU University Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Dick J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Veltman
authors.affiliation: Academic Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.|Arq Psychotrauma Expert Group, Diemen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Miranda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Olff
mesh_terms: D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000328:Adult; D000679:Amygdala / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004644:Emotions / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005149:Facial Expression; D005260:Female; D059907:Functional Neuroimaging; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D010121:Oxytocin