Cortisol-induced increases of plasma oxytocin levels predict decreased immediate free recall of unpleasant words

Frontiers in Psychiatry

Maarten A S Boksem¹  Mattie eTops²  Jakob eKorf⁴  Femke eBuisman-Pijlman⁵  Albertus A Wijers⁶ 

[1] Erasmus University;Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC);Radboud University;University Medical Center Groningen;University of Adelaide;University of Groningen;University of Leiden;

关键词: Adrenocorticotropic Hormone;    Memory;    Oxytocin;    cortisol;    stress;    vasopressin;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyt.2012.00043

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Cortisol and oxytocin have been shown to interact in both the regulation of stress responses and in memory function. In the present study we administered cortisol to 35 healthy female subjects in a within-subject double-blind placebo-controlled design, while measuring oxytocin levels, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) levels, and free recall of pleasant and of unpleasant words. We found that cortisol administration induced both a decrease in oxytocin associated with ACTH suppression and an increase in oxytocin that was independent from ACTH suppression. This cortisol-induced increase in plasma oxytocin was associated with a selective decrease in immediate free recall of unpleasant words from primacy positions. The present results add to evidence that cortisol-induced increases in oxytocin could mediate some of the effects of stress and cortisol treatment on memory, and possibly play a role in the regulation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal stress response. This mechanism could significantly impact affective and social behaviors, in particular during times of stress.

【 授权许可】

Unknown