Oxytocin Shapes the Neural Circuitry of Trust and Trust Adaptation in Humans

Abstract

Trust and betrayal of trust are ubiquitous in human societies. Recent behavioral evidence shows that the neuropeptide oxytocin increases trust among humans, thus offering a unique chance of gaining a deeper understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying trust and the adaptation to breach of trust. We examined the neural circuitry of trusting behavior by combining the intranasal, double-blind, administration of oxytocin with fMRI. We find that subjects in the oxytocin group show no change in their trusting behavior after they learned that their trust had been breached several times while subjects receiving placebo decrease their trust. This difference in trust adaptation is associated with a specific reduction in activation in the amygdala, the midbrain regions, and the dorsal striatum in subjects receiving oxytocin, suggesting that neural systems mediating fear processing (amygdala and midbrain regions) and behavioral adaptations to feedback information (dorsal striatum) modulate oxytocin's effect on trust. These findings may help to develop deeper insights into mental disorders such as social phobia and autism, which are characterized by persistent fear or avoidance of social interactions.

Seeing is believing: Trustworthiness as a dynamic belief

“…However, there is likely something unique to the social nature of this signal as it is able to be selectively manipulated (compared to pure risk) using a hormone induction (Kosfeld, Heinrichs, Zak, Fischbacher, & Fehr, 2005). This hormone, known as oxytocin, acts as a neurotransmitter in the brain and is likely mediating the effect on trust via the amygdala (Baumgartner, Heinrichs, Vonlanthen, Fischbacher, & Fehr, 2008). We also replicated findings which indicate that people use experience as a basis for their trustworthiness judgments (King-Casas et al, 2005).…”

Are retinoids potential therapeutic agents in disorders of social cognition including autism?

“…Social anxiety symptom severity, adjusted for age and gender in a healthy group of subjects, was associated with higher plasma oxytocin levels [15]. Imaging studies reinforce the role of OT in influencing human social behavior with evidence demonstrating that OT modulates the amygdala and other brain regions [16]. …”

Helping hands, healthy body? Oxytocin receptor gene and prosocial behavior interact to buffer the association between stress and physical health

“…To some degree, this may be because the central functions of oxytocin are difficult to observe in humans. That is, oxytocin is both a peripheral hormone and central nervous system neurotransmitter, with central effects on the amygdala that are believed to motivate prosocial behavior by way of threat reduction (Baumgartner et al, 2008;Campbell, 2010). The exact nature and extent of oxytocin's central effects remain unclear, but it is possible to broadly examine variability in oxytocin function by exploring individual differences in oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) polymorphisms.…”