title: Intranasal administration of oxytocin modulates behavioral and amygdala responses to infant crying in females with insecure attachment representations.
abstract: The current study examined the effects of oxytocin administration on the response to infant crying in individuals with secure or insecure attachment representations as assessed with the Adult Attachment Interview. We measured feelings of irritation and the use of excessive force as indicated by grip strength using a handgrip dynamometer during exposure to infant crying in 42 women without children who were administered intranasal oxytocin or a placebo. In addition, amygdala responses to infant crying and control sounds were measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The effects of oxytocin on reactivity to crying were moderated by attachment security. Oxytocin decreased the use of excessive handgrip force and amygdala reactivity in response to crying in individuals with insecure attachment representations. Our findings indicate that insecure individuals, who show emotional, behavioral, and neural hyperreactivity to crying, benefit the most from intranasal oxytocin.
authors.affiliation: a Centre for Child and Family Studies , Leiden University , Leiden , The Netherlands.|b Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC) , Leiden University , Leiden , The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Madelon M E
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Riem
authors.affiliation: a Centre for Child and Family Studies , Leiden University , Leiden , The Netherlands.|b Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC) , Leiden University , Leiden , The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marian J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Bakermans-Kranenburg
authors.affiliation: a Centre for Child and Family Studies , Leiden University , Leiden , The Netherlands.|b Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC) , Leiden University , Leiden , The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marinus H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: van IJzendoorn
mesh_terms: D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000328:Adult; D000679:Amygdala / Q000187:drug effects*; D001519:Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D003448:Crying; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D009769:Object Attachment; D010120:Oxytocics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D010120:Oxytocics; D010121:Oxytocin
keywords: AAI; Oxytocin; adult attachment; amygdala; fMRI; infant crying