Journal Article

DZNE-2020-03574

http://join2-wiki.gsi.de/foswiki/pub/Main/Artwork/join2_logo100x88.png Oxytocin enhances attractiveness of unfamiliar female faces independent of the dopamine reward system.

Striepens, N. ; Matusch, A. ; Kendrick, K. M. ; Mihov, Y. ; Elmenhorst, D. ; Becker, B. ; Lang, M. ; Coenen, H. H. ; Maier, W.DZNE* ; Hurlemann, R. (Corresponding author) ; Bauer, A.

2014
Elsevier Science Amsterdam [u.a.]

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Please use a persistent id in citations: doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2013.09.026

Abstract: Evidence from animal studies suggests that the social attraction and bonding effects of the neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) are mediated by its modulation of dopamine (DA) release in brain reward centers, but this has not yet been demonstrated in humans. DA release can be measured by positron emission tomography (PET) using the radioligand [11C]raclopride. Its binding to DA D2 receptors (D2R) is sensitive and reciprocally related to endogenous DA, especially in the striatum. In a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled within-subjects trial on 18 adult male volunteers we combined [11C]raclopride PET and a facial attractiveness rating task to establish whether intranasal OXT (24 IU) increased both the perceived attractiveness of unfamiliar female faces and striatal DA release compared with placebo administration. While our behavioral data confirmed that subjects rated unfamiliar female faces as more attractive following OXT treatment, and this correlated with an increased perfusion rate in the striatum, there was no evidence for altered [11C]raclopride binding in the striatum or pallidum. Instead under OXT we rather observed an increased [11C]raclopride binding and reduced perfusion rate in subregions of the right dorsomedial prefrontal gyrus and superior parietal gyrus. The absence of OXT effects on dopamine release and D2 receptors in brain reward centers, despite increased striatal activity, implies that the peptide may facilitate perceived attraction via non-dopaminergic actions.

Keyword(s): Adult (MeSH) ; Corpus Striatum: diagnostic imaging (MeSH) ; Corpus Striatum: drug effects (MeSH) ; Corpus Striatum: metabolism (MeSH) ; Dopamine: metabolism (MeSH) ; Double-Blind Method (MeSH) ; Face (MeSH) ; Female (MeSH) ; Humans (MeSH) ; Male (MeSH) ; Oxytocin: pharmacology (MeSH) ; Raclopride: pharmacology (MeSH) ; Radionuclide Imaging (MeSH) ; Raclopride ; Oxytocin ; Dopamine

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Contributing Institute(s):

1. U Clinical Researchers - Bonn (U Clinical Researchers - Bonn)

Research Program(s):

1. 344 - Clinical and Health Care Research (POF3-344) (POF3-344)

Appears in the scientific report 2014

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Database coverage:
; BIOSIS Previews ; Clarivate Analytics Master Journal List ; Current Contents - Life Sciences ; Ebsco Academic Search ; IF < 5 ; JCR ; NCBI Molecular Biology Database ; Nationallizenz ; SCOPUS ; Science Citation Index ; Science Citation Index Expanded ; Web of Science Core Collection

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