title: Intranasal oxytocin enhances neural processing of monetary reward and loss in post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatized controls.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Anhedonia is a significant clinical problem in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD patients show reduced motivational approach behavior, which may underlie anhedonic symptoms. Oxytocin administration is known to increase reward sensitivity and approach behavior. We therefore investigated whether oxytocin administration affected neural responses during motivational processing in PTSD patients and trauma-exposed controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  35 police officers with PTSD (21 males) and 37 trauma-exposed police officers without PTSD (19 males) were included in a within-subjects, randomized, placebo-controlled fMRI study. Neural responses during anticipation of monetary reward and loss were investigated with a monetary incentive delay task (MID) after placebo and oxytocin (40 IU) administration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Oxytocin increased neural responses during reward and loss anticipation in PTSD patients and controls in the striatum, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and insula, key regions in the reward pathway. Although PTSD patients did not differ from controls in motivational processing under placebo, anhedonia severity in PTSD patients was negatively related to reward responsiveness in the ventral striatum. Furthermore, oxytocin effects on reward processing in the ventral striatum were positively associated with anhedonia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oxytocin administration increased reward pathway sensitivity during reward and loss anticipation in PTSD patients and trauma-exposed controls. Thus, oxytocin administration may increase motivation for goal-directed approach behavior in PTSD patients and controls, providing evidence for a neurobiological pathway through which oxytocin could potentially increase motivation and reward sensitivity in PTSD patients.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 22660, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: l.nawijn@amc.uva.nl.
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: Nawijn
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 22660, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Mirjam
authors: M
authors: van Zuiden
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 22660, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Saskia B J
authors: SB
authors: Koch
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 22660, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Jessie L
authors: JL
authors: Frijling
authors: Department of Psychiatry, VU University Medical Center, PO Box 7057, 1007 MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Dick J
authors: DJ
authors: Veltman
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 22660, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Arq Psychotrauma Expert Group, Nienoord 5, 1112 XE Diemen, The Netherlands.
authors: Miranda
authors: M
authors: Olff
mesh_terms: D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000328:Adult; D059445:Anhedonia / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D059031:Anticipation, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation / Q000187:drug effects*; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000187:drug effects*; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016495:Police / Q000523:psychology; D060926:Remuneration; D012201:Reward; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*
chemical_list: D010121:Oxytocin
keywords: Anhedonia; Motivation; Oxytocin; PTSD; Reward; Striatum