Hypopituitarism is associated with lower oxytocin concentrations and reduced empathic ability

Daughters, Katie; Manstead, Antony Stephen Reid; Rees, D.

doi:10.1007/s12020-017-1332-3

Cited by 35 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…More specifically, we found significant differences in the AQ sub‐scores measuring social skills (AQ‐S) and attention switching (AQ‐AS). The results somewhat contradict the previous findings reported by Daughters et al, 37 who found no difference in AQ scores for patients with hypopituitarism and central diabetes insipidus (CDI) compared to healthy controls. This discrepancy might be a result of differences in AQ measures (we used the 50‐item AQ, Daughters et al 37 applied the 28‐item short version 59 ), as well as differences in patient groups (we included craniopharyngioma patients with a defined hypothalamic damage, Daughters et al 37 included patients with anterior hypopituitarism and an assumed lack of hypothalamic involvement).…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

“…Importantly, performance was similar to healthy participants when categorising the age of a viewed face, suggesting the deficit in face recognition to be emotion‐specific. These results are in line with a previous study by Daugthers et al, 37 who also found lower facial emotion recognition scores in patients with hypopituitarism. Interestingly, our data show that emotion recognition was not impaired in all craniopharyngioma patients of our sample.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…The results somewhat contradict the previous findings reported by Daughters et al, 37 who found no difference in AQ scores for patients with hypopituitarism and central diabetes insipidus (CDI) compared to healthy controls. This discrepancy might be a result of differences in AQ measures (we used the 50‐item AQ, Daughters et al 37 applied the 28‐item short version 59 ), as well as differences in patient groups (we included craniopharyngioma patients with a defined hypothalamic damage, Daughters et al 37 included patients with anterior hypopituitarism and an assumed lack of hypothalamic involvement). Next to the AQ, the ACIPS measuring interpersonal pleasure is also different in patients compared to healthy controls, which indicates that patients enjoy social encounters less than healthy individuals do.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Previous research has found a high prevalence for social and emotional deficits in this patient group, 34,35 although the underlying cause for the higher rate of such deficits has not been established. Recently, several studies have been able to show that the oxytocin system is impaired in these patients 36‐38 . Importantly, in healthy people, oxytocin increases in different situations such as social stress, sexual stimulation or physical exercise, 5 whereas craniopharyngioma patients cannot release additional oxytocin in response to stimulation 36 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Oxytocin release deficit and social cognition in craniopharyngioma patients

Brandi

Gebert

Kopczak

et al. 2020

J Neuroendocrinology

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Oxytocin is a neuropeptide known to affect social behaviour and cognition. Craniopharyngioma patients are considered to have an oxytocin‐release‐deficit caused by a rare tumour affecting the pituitary and/or the hypothalamus relevant for oxytocin production and release. To assess social behaviour and socio‐cognitive abilities in this patient group, we tested 13 patients and 23 healthy controls on self‐report questionnaires and an eye‐tracking paradigm including fast facial emotion recognition. Additionally, saliva oxytocin levels acquired before and after a physical stress induction were available from a previous study, representing the reactivity of the oxytocin system. The data revealed three major results. First, patients with an oxytocin‐release‐deficit scored higher on self‐reported autistic traits and reduced levels of hedonia for social encounters, although they showed no impairments in attributing mental states. Second, patients showed more difficulties in the fast emotion recognition task. Third, although automatic gaze behaviour during emotion recognition did not differ between groups, gaze behaviour was related to the reactivity of the oxytocin system across all participants. Taken together, these findings demonstrate the importance of investigating the reactivity of the oxytocin system and its relationship with social cognition. Our findings suggest that reduced emotional processing abilities may represent a pathological feature in a group of craniopharyngioma patients, indicating that this patient group might benefit from specific treatments within the social domain.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Oxytocin release deficit and social cognition in craniopharyngioma patients

Brandi

Gebert

Kopczak

et al. 2020

J Neuroendocrinology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…No association was observed with measures of empathy. Our own study examined salivary OT concentrations in fifty‐five participants, comprising 20 patients with central diabetes insipidus and anterior hypopituitarism, 15 patients with anterior hypopituitarism alone (clinical controls) and 20 healthy volunteers . Groups were matched for age and gender.…”

Section: Oxytocin In Hypopituitarismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Oxytocin therapy in hypopituitarism: Challenges and opportunities

Bhargava

Daughters

Rees

2018

Clinical Endocrinology

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Summary Patients with hypopituitarism display impaired quality of life and excess morbidity and mortality, despite apparently optimal pituitary hormone replacement. Oxytocin is a neuropeptide synthesized in the anterior hypothalamus which plays an important role in controlling social and emotional behaviour, body weight and metabolism. Recent studies have suggested that a deficiency of oxytocin may be evident in patients with hypopituitarism and craniopharyngioma, and that this may be associated with deficits in cognitive empathy. Preliminary data hint at potential benefits of oxytocin therapy in improving these deficits and the accompanying metabolic disturbances that are common in these conditions. However, several challenges remain, including an incomplete understanding of the regulation and mechanisms of action of oxytocin, difficulties in accurately measuring oxytocin levels and in establishing a diagnosis of oxytocin deficiency, and a need to determine both the optimal mode of administration for oxytocin therapy and an acceptable safety profile with long‐term use. This review considers the data linking oxytocin to the neuropsychological and metabolic disturbances evident in patients with craniopharyngioma and hypopituitarism, and describes the challenges that need to be overcome before replacement therapy can be considered as a therapeutic option in clinical practice.

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A novel mechanism of autophagy-associated cell death of vasopressin neurons in familial neurohypophysial diabetes insipidus

2018

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Familial neurohypophysial diabetes insipidus (FNDI), characterized by delayed-onset progressive polyuria and loss of arginine vasopressin (AVP) neuron, is an autosomal dominant disorder caused by AVP gene mutations. We previously generated a knock-in mouse model for FNDI, which recapitulated the phenotype of human FNDI. To address the mechanisms underlying AVP neuron loss, we subjected FNDI mice to intermittent water deprivation, which accelerated the phenotype and induced AVP neuron loss within a relative short period. Electron microscopic analyses revealed that aggregates were confined to a sub-compartment of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), ER-associated compartment (ERAC), in AVP neurons of FNDI mice under normal conditions. In contrast, aggregates scattered throughout the dilated ER lumen, and phagophores, autophagosome precursors, emerged and surrounded the ER containing scattered aggregates in FNDI mice subjected to water deprivation for 4 weeks, suggesting that failure of ERAC formation leads to autophagy induction for degradation of aggregates. Furthermore, the cytoplasm was entirely occupied with large vacuoles in AVP neurons of FNDI mice subjected to water deprivation for 12 weeks, at which stage 30-40% of AVP neurons were lost. Our data demonstrated that although autophagy should primarily be a protective mechanism, continuous autophagy leads to gradual loss of organelles including ER, resulting in autophagy-associated cell death of AVP neurons in FNDI mice.

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Hypopituitarism is associated with lower oxytocin concentrations and reduced empathic ability

Cited by 35 publications

References 32 publications

Oxytocin release deficit and social cognition in craniopharyngioma patients

Oxytocin release deficit and social cognition in craniopharyngioma patients

Oxytocin therapy in hypopituitarism: Challenges and opportunities

A novel mechanism of autophagy-associated cell death of vasopressin neurons in familial neurohypophysial diabetes insipidus

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