Oxytocin receptor polymorphism and childhood social experiences shape adult personality, brain structure and neural correlates of mentalizing

Schneider-Hassloff, Henriette; Straube, Benjamin; Jansen, Andreas; Nuscheler, B.; Wemken, Gesa; Witt, Stephanie H.; Rietschel, Marcella; Kircher, Tilo

doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.04.009

Cited by 62 publications

(54 citation statements)

References 119 publications

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“…Previous studies reported a consistent activation of the ToM network when people interact with others in social decision‐making tasks (Decety et al, ; Elliott et al, ; Gallagher, Jack, Roepstorff, & Frith, ; Rilling, Sanfey, Aronson, Nystrom, & Cohen, ; Schneider‐Hassloff, Straube, Nuscheler, Wemken, & Kircher, ; Schneider‐Hassloff et al, ; Schurz et al, ). In line with these findings our participants showed activation in brain regions underlying ToM processes such as the rTPJ (Saxe & Kanwisher, ; Saxe & Wexler, ), the mPFC (Kircher et al, ; Schurz et al, ), and the PCC (Bzdok et al, ; Mar, ) in all task conditions (competitive, cooperative, and random playing partner).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 78%

“…Previous studies reported a consistent activation of the ToM network when people interact with others in social decision-making tasks (Decety et al, 2004;Elliott et al, 2006;Gallagher, Jack, Roepstorff, & Frith, 2002;Rilling, Sanfey, Aronson, Nystrom, & Cohen, 2004;Schneider-Hassloff, Straube, Nuscheler, Wemken, & Kircher, 2015;Schneider-Hassloff et al, 2016;Schurz et al, 2014). In line with these findings our participants showed activation in brain regions underlying ToM processes such as the rTPJ (Saxe & Kanwisher, 2003;Saxe & Wexler, 2005), the mPFC (Kircher et al, 2009;Schurz et al, 2014), Reported regions were corrected for multiple comparisons on a cluster-level (p < .05, cluster height threshold of p 5 .001) except the analysis of the dynamic ToM-value which is reported at p 5 .001 (uncorrected) and an extent threshold of 20 activated voxels.…”

Section: Rtpj-connectivity: Dynamic Tommentioning

confidence: 80%

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The role of the right temporo–parietal junction in social decision‐making

Bitsch

Berger

Nagels

et al. 2018

Human Brain Mapping

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Identifying someone else's noncooperative intentions can prevent exploitation in social interactions. Hence, the inference of another person's mental state might be most pronounced in order to improve social decision-making. Here, we tested the hypothesis that brain regions associated with Theory of Mind (ToM), particularly the right temporo-parietal junction (rTPJ), show higher neural responses when interacting with a selfish person and that the rTPJ-activity as well as cooperative tendencies will change over time. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and a modified prisoner's dilemma game in which 20 participants interacted with three fictive playing partners who behaved according to stable strategies either competitively, cooperatively or randomly during seven interaction blocks. The rTPJ and the posterior-medial prefrontal cortex showed higher activity during the interaction with a competitive compared with a cooperative playing partner. Only the rTPJ showed a high response during an early interaction phase, which preceded participants increase in defective decisions. Enhanced functional connectivity between the rTPJ and the left hippocampus suggests that social cognition and learning processes co-occur when behavioral adaptation seems beneficial.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 78%

Section: Rtpj-connectivity: Dynamic Tommentioning

confidence: 80%

The role of the right temporo–parietal junction in social decision‐making

Bitsch

Berger

Nagels

et al. 2018

Human Brain Mapping

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…The recognition of oxytocin as a potential mediator of these processes is important, as identifying the underlying neurobiology is a critical step in developing targeted treatments and improving outcomes. A prior study showed an interaction between oxytocin receptor genotype and childhood attachment in predicting adult alexithymia as well as brain structure and functioning in regions involved in salience processing and mentalizing (Schneider‐Hassloff et al, ). Others have shown that administration of oxytocin improves key processes that are impaired in alexithymia: emotion recognition (Aoki et al, ; Fischer‐Shofty et al, ; Guastella et al, ; Lischke et al, ; Luminet et al, ; Marsh et al, ) and emotion expression (Lane et al, ), further emphasizing the link between oxytocin and social‐emotional functioning.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Low oxytocin levels are related to alexithymia in anorexia nervosa

Schmelkin

Plessow

Thomas

et al. 2017

Intl J Eating Disorders

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Objective Anorexia nervosa is associated with social-emotional functioning deficits and low levels of the social neurohormone oxytocin, even after weight gain. The relationship between low oxytocin levels and social-emotional functioning impairment has not been studied. Method We performed a cross-sectional study of 79 women (19 who were less than 85% of ideal body weight [IBW] with anorexia nervosa [AN], 26 who were 90–120% IBW with a history of AN [AN-WR], and 34 who were 90–120% IBW with no eating disorder history [H]). We administered the Eating Disorder Examination–Questionnaire (EDE-Q), Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale–Self Report (LSAS-SR), Dimensional Assessment of Personality Pathology–Basic Questionnaire (DAPP-BQ; suspiciousness and insecure attachment subscales), and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). We also analyzed fasting serum oxytocin levels. Results Most measures of social-emotional functioning showed impairment in women with AN and AN-WR compared to H. Oxytocin levels were low in AN-WR compared to H. Across groups, low oxytocin levels were associated with difficulty identifying feelings (r=−0.45, p=0.008) and overall alexithymia (r=−0.34, p=0.0489). Discussion We speculate that low oxytocin levels may contribute to alexithymia in women with anorexia nervosa.

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“…Our results in prairie voles reveal that OTR density in the striatum, which is robustly predicted by polymorphisms in the OTR gene (King et al 2016), is indicative of resilience to early-life social isolation with respect to later life bonding. Several psychiatric genetic studies have suggested that polymorphisms in the human OTR predict not only social behavioral phenotypes, including those associated with autism (Skuse et al 2014; Parker et al 2014; LoParo and Waldman 2015), but also how early-life experiences shape later psychiatric outcomes (Schneider-Hassloff et al 2016; Myers et al 2014; Bradley et al 2013). Consistent with these observations, a recent study identified epigenetic modifications of the OT gene that predicts many aspects of human sociability (Haas et al 2016).…”

Section: Conclusion and Translational Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Oxytocin and Social Relationships: From Attachment to Bond Disruption

Bosch

Young

2017

Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences

116

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Social relationships throughout life are vital for well-being and physical and mental health. A significant amount of research in animal models as well as in humans suggests that oxytocin (OT) plays an important role in the development of the capacity to form social bonds, the mediation of the positive aspects of early-life nurturing on adult bonding capacity, and the maintenance of social bonding. Here, we focus on the extensive research on a socially monogamous rodent model organism, the prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster). OT facilitates mating-induced pair bonds in adults through interaction with the mesolimbic dopamine system. Variation in striatal OT receptor density predicts resilience and susceptibility to neonatal social neglect in female prairie voles. Finally, in adults, loss of a partner results in multiple disruptions in OT signaling, including decreased OT release in the striatum, which is caused by an activation of the brain corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) system. The dramatic behavioral consequence of partner loss is increased depressive-like behavior reminiscent of bereavement. Importantly, infusions of OT into the striatum of adults prevents the onset of depressive-like behavior following partner loss, and evoking endogenous OT release using melanocortin agonists during neonatal social isolation rescues impairments in social bonding in adulthood. This work has important translational implications relevant to the disruptions of social bonds in childhood and in adults.

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Oxytocin receptor polymorphism and childhood social experiences shape adult personality, brain structure and neural correlates of mentalizing

Cited by 62 publications

References 119 publications

The role of the right temporo–parietal junction in social decision‐making

The role of the right temporo–parietal junction in social decision‐making

Low oxytocin levels are related to alexithymia in anorexia nervosa

Oxytocin and Social Relationships: From Attachment to Bond Disruption

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