Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-hc48f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T22:23:05.344Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Oxytocin shapes the priorities and neural representations of attitudes and values

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 October 2017

René Hurlemann ,
Nina Marsh ,
Johannes Schultz  and
Dirk Scheele
René Hurlemann
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany. renehurlemann@icloud.comhttp://renehurlemann.squarespace.com/welcome/ Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany. n.marsh@gmx.dejohannes.schultz@gmail.comdirk-scheele@gmx.dehttps://sites.google.com/site/johannesschultz/http://psychiatrie.uni-bonn.de/
Nina Marsh
Affiliation:
Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany. n.marsh@gmx.dejohannes.schultz@gmail.comdirk-scheele@gmx.dehttps://sites.google.com/site/johannesschultz/http://psychiatrie.uni-bonn.de/
Johannes Schultz
Affiliation:
Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany. n.marsh@gmx.dejohannes.schultz@gmail.comdirk-scheele@gmx.dehttps://sites.google.com/site/johannesschultz/http://psychiatrie.uni-bonn.de/
Dirk Scheele
Affiliation:
Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany. n.marsh@gmx.dejohannes.schultz@gmail.comdirk-scheele@gmx.dehttps://sites.google.com/site/johannesschultz/http://psychiatrie.uni-bonn.de/
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The phylogenetically ancient neuropeptide oxytocin has been linked to a plethora of social behaviors. Here, we argue that the action of oxytocin is not restricted to the downstream level of emotional responses, but substantially alters higher representations of attitudes and values by exerting a distant modulatory influence on cortical areas and their reciprocal interplay with subcortical regions and hormonal systems.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 40 , 2017 , e241
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Beitchman, J. H., Zai, C. C., Muir, K., Berall, L., Nowrouzi, B., Choi, E. & Kennedy, J. L. (2012) Childhood aggression, callous-unemotional traits and oxytocin genes. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 21(3):125–32. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22294460.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Buchheim, A., Heinrichs, M., George, C., Pokorny, D., Koops, E., Henningsen, P., O'Connor, M. F. & Gundel, H. (2009) Oxytocin enhances the experience of attachment security. Psychoneuroendocrinology 34(9):1417–22. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19457618.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cardoso, C., Ellenbogen, M. A. & Linnen, A. M. (2012) Acute intranasal oxytocin improves positive self-perceptions of personality. Psychopharmacology 220(4):741–49. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22012170.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cecil, C. A., Lysenko, L. J., Jaffee, S. R., Pingault, J. B., Smith, R. G., Relton, C. L., Woodward, G., McArdle, W., Mill, J. & Barker, E. D. (2014) Environmental risk, oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) methylation and youth callous-unemotional traits: A 13-year longitudinal study. Molecular Psychiatry 19(10):1071–77. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25199917.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Colonnello, V. & Heinrichs, M. (2014) Intranasal oxytocin enhances positive self-attribution in healthy men. Journal of Psychosomatic Research 77(5):415–19. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25439340.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dadds, M. R., Moul, C., Cauchi, A., Dobson-Stone, C., Hawes, D. J., Brennan, J., Urwin, R. & Ebstein, R. E. (2014) Polymorphisms in the oxytocin receptor gene are associated with the development of psychopathy. Development and Psychopathology 26(1):21–31. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24059750.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Davis, M. C., Green, M. F., Lee, J., Horan, W. P., Senturk, D., Clarke, A. D. & Marder, S. R. (2014) Oxytocin-augmented social cognitive skills training in schizophrenia. Neuropsychopharmacology 39(9):2070–77. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24637803.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
De Dreu, C. K., Greer, L. L., Handgraaf, M. J., Shalvi, S., Van Kleef, G. A., Baas, M., Ten Velden, F. S., Van Dijk, E. & Feith, S. W. (2010) The neuropeptide oxytocin regulates parochial altruism in intergroup conflict among humans. Science 328(5984):1408–11. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20538951.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
De Dreu, C. K., Greer, L. L., Van Kleef, G. A., Shalvi, S. & Handgraaf, M. J. (2011) Oxytocin promotes human ethnocentrism. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 108(4):1262–66. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21220339.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Domes, G., Heinrichs, M., Michel, A., Berger, C. & Herpertz, S. C. (2007) Oxytocin improves “mind-reading” in humans. Biological Psychiatry 61(6):731–33. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17137561.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ebner, N. C., Horta, M., Lin, T., Feifel, D., Fischer, H. & Cohen, R. A. (2015) Oxytocin modulates meta-mood as a function of age and sex. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience 7: article 175. (Online journal). Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26441637 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Eckstein, M., Becker, B., Scheele, D., Scholz, C., Preckel, K., Schlaepfer, T. E., Grinevich, V., Kendrick, K. M., Maier, W. & Hurlemann, R. (2015) Oxytocin facilitates the extinction of conditioned fear in humans. Biological Psychiatry 78(3):194–202. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25542304.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Eckstein, M., Scheele, D., Patin, A., Preckel, K., Becker, B., Walther, A., Domschke, K., Grinevich, V., Maier, W. & Hurlemann, R. (2016) Oxytocin facilitates Pavlovian fear learning in males. Neuropsychopharmacology 41(4):932–39. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26272050.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Grecucci, A., Recchia, L. & Frederickson, J. (2016) Per una metodologia della regolazione emozionale basata su principi psicodinamici [For a methodology of emotion regulation based on psychodynamic principles]. International Journal of Psychoanalysis and Education 8(2):4–13. Available at: http://www.psychoedu.org/index.php/IJPE/article/view/166/158.Google Scholar
Gregory, R., Cheng, H., Rupp, H. A., Sengelaub, D. R. & Heiman, J. R. (2015) Oxytocin increases VTA activation to infant and sexual stimuli in nulliparous and postpartum women. Hormones and Behavior 69:82–88. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25562711.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Groppe, S. E., Gossen, A., Rademacher, L., Hahn, A., Westphal, L., Grunder, G. & Spreckelmeyer, K. N. (2013) Oxytocin influences processing of socially relevant cues in the ventral tegmental area of the human brain. Biological Psychiatry 74(3):172–79. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23419544.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Guastella, A. J., Howard, A. L., Dadds, M. R., Mitchell, P. & Carson, D. S. (2009) A randomized controlled trial of intranasal oxytocin as an adjunct to exposure therapy for social anxiety disorder. Psychoneuroendocrinology 34(6):917–23. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19246160.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hovey, D., Lindstedt, M., Zettergren, A., Jonsson, L., Johansson, A., Melke, J., Kerekes, N., Anckarsater, H., Lichtenstein, P., Lundstrom, S. & Westberg, L. (2016) Antisocial behavior and polymorphisms in the oxytocin receptor gene: Findings in two independent samples. Molecular Psychiatry 21(7):983–88. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26390829.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hurlemann, R., Patin, A., Onur, O. A., Cohen, M. X., Baumgartner, T., Metzler, S., Dziobek, I., Gallinat, J., Wagner, M., Maier, W. & Kendrick, K. M. (2010) Oxytocin enhances amygdala-dependent, socially reinforced learning and emotional empathy in humans. Journal of Neuroscience 30:4999–5007.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hurlemann, R. & Scheele, D. (2016) Dissecting the role of oxytocin in the formation and loss of social relationships. Biological Psychiatry 79(3):185–93. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26122876.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Levy, T., Bloch, Y., Bar-Maisels, M., Gat-Yablonski, G., Djalovski, A., Borodkin, K. & Apter, A. (2015) Salivary oxytocin in adolescents with conduct problems and callous-unemotional traits. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 24(12):1543–51. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26433370.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Marsh, N., Scheele, D., Gerhardt, H., Strang, S., Enax, L., Weber, B., Maier, W. & Hurlemann, R. (2015) The neuropeptide oxytocin induces a social altruism bias. Journal of Neuroscience 35(47):15696–701. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26609161.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Meffert, H., Gazzola, V., den Boer, J. A., Bartels, A. A. & Keysers, C. (2013) Reduced spontaneous but relatively normal deliberate vicarious representations in psychopathy. Brain 136 (Part 8):2550–62. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23884812.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Olff, M., Frijling, J. L., Kubzansky, L. D., Bradley, B., Ellenbogen, M. A., Cardoso, C., Bartz, J. A., Yee, J. R. & van Zuiden, M. (2013) The role of oxytocin in social bonding, stress regulation and mental health: An update on the moderating effects of context and interindividual differences. Psychoneuroendocrinology 38(9):1883–94. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23856187.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Preckel, K., Scheele, D., Eckstein, M., Maier, W. & Hurlemann, R. (2015) The influence of oxytocin on volitional and emotional ambivalence. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience 10(7):987–93. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25398434.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Scheele, D., Kendrick, K. M., Khouri, C., Kretzer, E., Schlapfer, T. E., Stoffel-Wagner, B., Gunturkun, O., Maier, W. & Hurlemann, R. (2014a) An oxytocin-induced facilitation of neural and emotional responses to social touch correlates inversely with autism traits. Neuropsychopharmacology 39(9):2078–85. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24694924.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Scheele, D., Plota, J., Stoffel-Wagner, B., Maier, W. & Hurlemann, R. (2016) Hormonal contraceptives suppress oxytocin-induced brain reward responses to the partner's face. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience 11(5):767–74. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26722017.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scheele, D., Schwering, C., Elison, J. T., Spunt, R., Maier, W. & Hurlemann, R. (2015) A human tendency to anthropomorphize is enhanced by oxytocin. European Neuropsychopharmacology 25(10):1817–23. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26092202.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Scheele, D., Striepens, N., Kendrick, K. M., Schwering, C., Noelle, J., Wille, A., Schlapfer, T. E., Maier, W. & Hurlemann, R. (2014b) Opposing effects of oxytocin on moral judgment in males and females. Human Brain Mapping 35(12):6067–76. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25094043.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Scheele, D., Wille, A., Kendrick, K. M., Stoffel-Wagner, B., Becker, B., Güntürkün, O., Maier, W. & Hurlemann, R. (2013) Oxytocin enhances brain reward system responses in men viewing the face of their female partner. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 110(50):20308–13. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24277856.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shamay-Tsoory, S. G., Abu-Akel, A., Palgi, S., Sulieman, R., Fischer-Shofty, M., Levkovitz, Y. & Decety, J. (2013) Giving peace a chance: Oxytocin increases empathy to pain in the context of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Psychoneuroendocrinology 38(12):3139–44. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24099859.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Striepens, N., Kendrick, K. M., Hanking, V., Landgraf, R., Wüllner, U., Maier, W., & Hurlemann, R. (2013) Elevated cerebrospinal fluid and blood concentrations of oxytocin following its intranasal administration in humans. Scientific Reports 3:3440. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24310737.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Striepens, N., Scheele, D., Kendrick, K. M., Becker, B., Schafer, L., Schwalba, K., Reul, J., Maier, W. & Hurlemann, R. (2012) Oxytocin facilitates protective responses to aversive social stimuli in males. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 109(44):18144–49. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23074247.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yatawara, C. J., Einfeld, S. L., Hickie, I. B., Davenport, T. A. & Guastella, A. J. (2016) The effect of oxytocin nasal spray on social interaction deficits observed in young children with autism: A randomized clinical crossover trial. Molecular Psychiatry 21:1225–31. Available at: http://www.nature.com/mp/journal/v21/n9/full/mp2015162a.html.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed