title: Oxytocin and Social Adaptation: Insights from Neuroimaging Studies of Healthy and Clinical Populations.
abstract: Adaptation to the social environment is critical for human survival. The neuropeptide oxytocin (OT), implicated in social cognition and emotions pivotal to sociality and well-being, is a promising pharmacological target for social and emotional dysfunction. We suggest here that the multifaceted role of OT in socio-affective processes improves the capability for social adaptation. We review OT effects on socio-affective processes, with a focus on OT-neuroimaging studies, to elucidate neuropsychological mechanisms through which OT promotes social adaptation. We also review OT-neuroimaging studies of individuals with social deficits and suggest that OT ameliorates impaired social adaptation by normalizing hyper- or hypo-brain activity. The social adaption model (SAM) provides an integrative understanding of discrepant OT effects and the modulations of OT action by personal milieu and context.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China. Electronic address: yinama01@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Yina
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shamay-Tsoory
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Shihui
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Caroline F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Zink
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008959:Models, Neurological; D008960:Models, Psychological; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000378:metabolism*; D012919:Social Behavior
chemical_list: D010121:Oxytocin