title: First experiences with neuropsychological effects of oxytocin administration in childhood-onset craniopharyngioma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The hypothalamic hormone oxytocin plays a major role in regulation of behavior and body composition. Quality of survival is frequently impaired in childhood craniopharyngioma patients due to sequelae such as behavioral deficits and severe obesity caused by tumor or treatment-related hypothalamic lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  In our pilot cross-sectional study, we analyzed emotion recognition abilities and oxytocin concentrations in saliva and urine before and after single nasal administration of 24 IU oxytocin in 10 craniopharyngioma patients. Four craniopharyngioma presented with grade I lesions (limited to anterior hypothalamic areas) and 6 craniopharyngioma with grade II lesions (involving mammillary bodies and posterior hypothalamic areas). Emotional tasks were assessed before and after administration of oxytocin using the Geneva multimodal emotion portrayals corpus and the Multidimensional Mood Questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients presented with detectable levels of oxytocin before administration. Nasal administration of oxytocin was well-tolerated and resulted in increased oxytocin concentrations in saliva and urine. After oxytocin administration, craniopharyngioma patients with postsurgical lesions limited to the anterior hypothalamus area showed improvements in emotional identifications compared to craniopharyngioma patients with lesions of anterior and posterior hypothalamic areas. Focusing on correct assignments to positive and negative emotion categories, craniopharyngioma patients improved assignment to negative emotions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oxytocin might have positive effects on emotion perception in craniopharyngioma patients with specific lesions of the anterior hypothalamic area. Further studies on larger cohorts are warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Pediatric Hematology / Oncology, Klinikum Oldenburg AöR, Medical Campus University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, 26133, Germany.
authors.forename: Anika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.affiliation: Biological Psychology Lab, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University, Oldenburg, 26129, Germany.
authors.forename: Jale
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Özyurt
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Pediatric Hematology / Oncology, Klinikum Oldenburg AöR, Medical Campus University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, 26133, Germany.
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lohle
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Pediatric Hematology / Oncology, Klinikum Oldenburg AöR, Medical Campus University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, 26133, Germany.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Reichel
authors.affiliation: Biological Psychology Lab, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University, Oldenburg, 26129, Germany.|Research Center Neurosensory Science and Cluster of Excellence "Hearing4all", Carl von Ossietzky University, Oldenburg, 26129, Germany.
authors.forename: Christiane M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Thiel
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Pediatric Hematology / Oncology, Klinikum Oldenburg AöR, Medical Campus University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, 26133, Germany. mueller.hermann@klinikum-oldenburg.de.
authors.forename: Hermann L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Müller
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000187:drug effects; D003397:Craniopharyngioma / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004644:Emotions / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000032:analysis / Q000652:urine; D010865:Pilot Projects; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000187:drug effects*; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D010121:Oxytocin
keywords: Craniopharyngioma; Hypothalamus; Neuropsychology; Obesity; Oxytocin; Social cognition