TY - JOUR
T1 - Sensitivity to Intranasal Oxytocin in Adult Men with Early Parental Separation
AU - Meinlschmidt, Gunther
AU - Heim, Christine
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft FOR 255 (CH) and a research credit of the University of Trier (CH) as well as a stipend of the Cusanuswerk (GM). The authors have no competing interests. Dr. Heim discloses received support from the National Institute of Mental Health, The National Alliance for Research in Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSAD), Anxiety Disorders Association of America, Eli Lilly, and the Centers for Disease Control.
PY - 2007/5/1
Y1 - 2007/5/1
N2 - Background: Central oxytocin (OT) is critically involved in mediating social bonding and protecting against stress, depression, and anxiety. In animal models, early social experiences induce changes in central OT systems. In humans, early parental separation (EPS) increases the risk for emotional disorders in adulthood. We examined neuroendocrine responses to intranasal OT administration in men with EPS and healthy control subjects as an estimate of central OT sensitivity. Methods: Salivary cortisol concentrations were measured in 9 healthy men with EPS and 10 control subjects before and after double-blind intranasal administration of placebo and OT (24 IU Syntocinon). Results: Relative to placebo, intranasal OT resulted in attenuated cortisol decreases in EPS subjects compared with control subjects. Conclusions: These preliminary results may suggest altered central sensitivity to the effects of OT after EPS. Future studies should replicate these results and scrutinize the role of OT in mediating risk versus resilience to psychopathology after early social adversity.
AB - Background: Central oxytocin (OT) is critically involved in mediating social bonding and protecting against stress, depression, and anxiety. In animal models, early social experiences induce changes in central OT systems. In humans, early parental separation (EPS) increases the risk for emotional disorders in adulthood. We examined neuroendocrine responses to intranasal OT administration in men with EPS and healthy control subjects as an estimate of central OT sensitivity. Methods: Salivary cortisol concentrations were measured in 9 healthy men with EPS and 10 control subjects before and after double-blind intranasal administration of placebo and OT (24 IU Syntocinon). Results: Relative to placebo, intranasal OT resulted in attenuated cortisol decreases in EPS subjects compared with control subjects. Conclusions: These preliminary results may suggest altered central sensitivity to the effects of OT after EPS. Future studies should replicate these results and scrutinize the role of OT in mediating risk versus resilience to psychopathology after early social adversity.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.biopsych.2006.09.007
DO - 10.1016/j.biopsych.2006.09.007
M3 - Article
C2 - 17141739
AN - SCOPUS:34047251000
SN - 0006-3223
VL - 61
SP - 1109
EP - 1111
JO - Biological Psychiatry
JF - Biological Psychiatry
IS - 9
ER -