Oxytocin's effect on resting-state functional connectivity varies by age and sex

PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY

卷:69

Article

Ebner, Natalie C.^1,2  Chen, Huaihou^2,3  Porges, Eric²  Lin, Tian¹  Fischer, Hakan⁴  Feifel, David⁵  Cohen, Ronald A.² 

[1] Univ Florida, Dept Psychol, POB 112250, Gainesville, FL 32611 USA

[2] Univ Florida, Inst Aging, Clin Translat Res Program CAM CTRP, Cognit Aging & Memory Program,Dept Aging & Geriat, 2004 Mowry Rd, Gainesville, FL 32611 USA

[3] Univ Florida, Dept Biostat, 2004 Mowry Rd, Gainesville, FL 32611 USA

[4] Stockholm Univ, Dept Psychol, Frescati Hagvag 14,Room 320, SE-10691 Stockholm, Sweden

[5] Univ Calif San Diego, Dept Psychiat, 200 W Arbor Dr, San Diego, CA 92103 USA

关键词: Oxytocin;    Aging;    Sex;    Resting-state functional connectivity;    Amygdala;    Medial prefrontal cortex;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.03.013

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

The neuropeptide oxytocin plays a role in social cognition and affective processing. The neural processes underlying these effects are not well understood. Modulation of connectivity strength between subcortical and cortical regions has been suggested as one possible mechanism. The current study investigated effects of intranasal oxytocin administration on resting-state functional connectivity between amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), as two regions involved in social-cognitive and affective processing. Going beyond previous work that largely examined young male participants, our study comprised young and older men and women to identify age and sex variations in oxytocin's central processes. This approach was based on known hormonal differences among these groups and emerging evidence of sex differences in oxytocin's effects on amygdala reactivity and age-by-sex-modulated effects of oxytocin in affective processing. In a double-blind design, 79 participants were randomly assigned to self-administer either intranasal oxytocin or placebo before undergoing resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Using a targeted region-to-region approach, resting-state functional connectivity strength between bilateral amygdala and mPFC was examined. Participants in the oxytocin compared to the placebo group and men compared to women had overall greater amygdala-mPFC connectivity strength at rest. These main effects were qualified by a significant three-way interaction: while oxytocin compared to placebo administration increased resting-state amygdala-mPFC connectivity for young women, oxytocin did not significantly influence connectivity in the other age-by-sex subgroups. This study provides novel evidence of age-by-sex differences in how oxytocin modulates resting-state brain connectivity, furthering our understanding of how oxytocin affects brain networks at rest. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

【 授权许可】

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