Oxytocin administration selectively improves olfactory detection thresholds for lyral in patients with schizophrenia

PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY

卷:53

Article

Woolley, J. D.^1,2  Lam, O.^1,2  Chuang, B.^1,2  Ford, J. M.^1,2  Mathalon, D. H.^1,2  Vinogradov, S.^1,2 

[1] Univ Calif San Francisco, Dept Psychiat, San Francisco, CA USA

[2] Vet Affairs Med Ctr, San Francisco Dept, San Francisco, CA 94121 USA

关键词: Oxytocin;    Schizophrenia;    Olfaction;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.12.018

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

Background: Olfaction plays an important role in mammalian social behavior. Olfactory deficits are common in schizophrenia and correlate with negative symptoms and low social drive. Despite their prominence and possible clinical relevance, little is understood about the pathological mechanisms underlying olfactory deficits in schizophrenia and there are currently no effective treatments for these deficits. The prosocial neuropeptide oxytocin may affect the olfactory system when administered intranasally to humans and there is growing interest in its therapeutic potential in schizophrenia. Methods: To examine this model, we administered 40 IU of oxytocin and placebo intranasally to 31 patients with a schizophrenia spectrum illness and 34 age-matched healthy control participants in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study. On each test day, participants completed an olfactory detection threshold test for two different odors: (1) lyral, a synthetic fragrance compound for which patients with schizophrenia have specific olfactory detection threshold deficits, possibly related to decreased cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP) signaling; and (2) anise, a compound for which olfactory detection thresholds change with menstrual cycle phase in women. Results: On the placebo test day, patients with schizophrenia did not significantly differ from healthy controls in detection of either odor. We found that oxytocin administration significantly and selectively improved olfactory detection thresholds for lyral but not for anise in patients with schizophrenia. In contrast, oxytocin had no effect on detection of either odor in healthy controls.

【 授权许可】

Free