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Oxytocin increases amygdala reactivity to threatening scenes in females
Lischke, Alexander Gamer, Matthias Berger, Christoph Grossmann, Annette Hauenstein, Karlheinz Heinrichs, Markus Herpertz, Sabine C. Domes, Gregor
Lischke, Alexander
Gamer, Matthias
Berger, Christoph
Grossmann, Annette
Hauenstein, Karlheinz
Heinrichs, Markus
Herpertz, Sabine C.
Domes, Gregor
Abstract
The neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) is well known for its profound effects on social behavior, which appear to be mediated by an OT-dependent modulation of amygdala activity in the context of social stimuli. In humans, OT decreases amygdala reactivity to threatening faces in males, but enhances amygdala reactivity to similar faces in females, suggesting sex-specific differences in OT-dependent threat-processing. To further explore whether OT generally enhances amygdala-dependent threat-processing in females, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in a randomized within-subject crossover design to measure amygdala activity in response to threatening and non-threatening scenes in 14 females following intranasal administration of OT or placebo. Participants’ eye movements were recorded to investigate whether an OT-dependent modulation of amygdala activity is accompanied by enhanced exploration of salient scene features. Although OT had no effect on participants’ gazing behavior, it increased amygdala reactivity to scenes depicting social and non-social threat. In females, OT may, thus, enhance the detection of threatening stimuli in the environment, potentially by interacting with gonadal steroids, such as progesterone and estrogen.
Keywords
oxytocin; amygdala; threat; social cognition; fMRI; eye tracking
Date
2012
Type
Journal article
Journal
Psychoneuroendocrinology
Book
Volume
37
Issue
9
Page Range
1431-1438
Article Number
ACU Department
School of Behavioural and Health Sciences
Faculty of Health Sciences
Faculty of Health Sciences
Relation URI
Source URL
Event URL
Open Access Status
License
File Access
Controlled