TY - JOUR
T1 - Oxytocin effects on mind-reading are moderated by experiences of maternal love withdrawal
T2 - An fMRI study
AU - Riem, Madelon M E
AU - Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian J.
AU - Voorthuis, Alexandra
AU - van IJzendoorn, Marinus H.
PY - 2014/6/3
Y1 - 2014/6/3
N2 - The neuropeptide oxytocin has been shown to stimulate a range of social behaviors. However, recent studies indicate that the effects of intranasal oxytocin are more nuanced than previously thought and that contextual factors and individual characteristics moderate the beneficiary oxytocin effects. In this randomized-controlled trial we examine the influence of intranasally administered oxytocin on neural activity during mind-reading with fMRI, taking into account harsh caregiving experiences as a potential moderator. Participants were 50 women who received a nasal spray containing either 16. IU of oxytocin or a placebo and had reported how often their mother used love withdrawal as a disciplinary strategy. Participants performed an adapted version of the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET), a task which requires individuals to infer mental states by looking at photographs of the eye region of faces. We found that oxytocin enhanced neural activation in the superior temporal gyrus (STG) and insula during the RMET. Moreover, oxytocin increased RMET performance outside the scanner. However, the oxytocin induced changes in STG activation and RMET performance were only brought about in potentially less socially proficient individuals who had low RMET performance, that is, participants reporting higher levels of maternal love withdrawal.
AB - The neuropeptide oxytocin has been shown to stimulate a range of social behaviors. However, recent studies indicate that the effects of intranasal oxytocin are more nuanced than previously thought and that contextual factors and individual characteristics moderate the beneficiary oxytocin effects. In this randomized-controlled trial we examine the influence of intranasally administered oxytocin on neural activity during mind-reading with fMRI, taking into account harsh caregiving experiences as a potential moderator. Participants were 50 women who received a nasal spray containing either 16. IU of oxytocin or a placebo and had reported how often their mother used love withdrawal as a disciplinary strategy. Participants performed an adapted version of the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET), a task which requires individuals to infer mental states by looking at photographs of the eye region of faces. We found that oxytocin enhanced neural activation in the superior temporal gyrus (STG) and insula during the RMET. Moreover, oxytocin increased RMET performance outside the scanner. However, the oxytocin induced changes in STG activation and RMET performance were only brought about in potentially less socially proficient individuals who had low RMET performance, that is, participants reporting higher levels of maternal love withdrawal.
KW - FMRI
KW - Mind-reading
KW - Oxytocin
KW - RMET
KW - Superior temporal gyrus
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84893720515&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84893720515&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2014.01.014
DO - 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2014.01.014
M3 - Article
C2 - 24486563
AN - SCOPUS:84893720515
VL - 51
SP - 105
EP - 112
JO - Progress in Neuropsychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry
JF - Progress in Neuropsychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry
SN - 0278-5846
ER -