Different amygdala subregions mediate valence-related and attentional effects of oxytocin in humans.
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Different amygdala subregions mediate valence-related and attentional effects of oxytocin in humans. / Gamer, Matthias; Zurowski, Bartosz; Büchel, Christian.
In: P NATL ACAD SCI USA, Vol. 107, No. 20, 20, 2010, p. 9400-9405.Research output: SCORING: Contribution to journal › SCORING: Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Different amygdala subregions mediate valence-related and attentional effects of oxytocin in humans.
AU - Gamer, Matthias
AU - Zurowski, Bartosz
AU - Büchel, Christian
PY - 2010
Y1 - 2010
N2 - The neuropeptide oxytocin enhances the processing of positive social stimuli and improves the capacity to effectively attend the eye region of conspecifics. To investigate the neural basis of these effects, we combined intranasal oxytocin administration with high-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging in a unique emotion classification task. Emotional faces were briefly presented while controlling for the initial fixation, and measuring subsequent eye movements. Oxytocin had differential effects on the activity of specific amygdala subregions. On the one hand, it attenuated activation in lateral and dorsal regions of the anterior amygdala for fearful faces but enhanced activity for happy expressions, thus indicating a shift of the processing focus toward positive social stimuli. On the other hand, oxytocin increased the likelihood of reflexive gaze shifts toward the eye region irrespective of the depicted emotional expression. This gazing pattern was related to an increase of activity in the posterior amygdala and an enhanced functional coupling of this region to the superior colliculi. Thus, different behavioral effects of oxytocin seem to be closely related its specific modulatory influence on subregions within the human amygdala.
AB - The neuropeptide oxytocin enhances the processing of positive social stimuli and improves the capacity to effectively attend the eye region of conspecifics. To investigate the neural basis of these effects, we combined intranasal oxytocin administration with high-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging in a unique emotion classification task. Emotional faces were briefly presented while controlling for the initial fixation, and measuring subsequent eye movements. Oxytocin had differential effects on the activity of specific amygdala subregions. On the one hand, it attenuated activation in lateral and dorsal regions of the anterior amygdala for fearful faces but enhanced activity for happy expressions, thus indicating a shift of the processing focus toward positive social stimuli. On the other hand, oxytocin increased the likelihood of reflexive gaze shifts toward the eye region irrespective of the depicted emotional expression. This gazing pattern was related to an increase of activity in the posterior amygdala and an enhanced functional coupling of this region to the superior colliculi. Thus, different behavioral effects of oxytocin seem to be closely related its specific modulatory influence on subregions within the human amygdala.
M3 - SCORING: Zeitschriftenaufsatz
VL - 107
SP - 9400
EP - 9405
JO - P NATL ACAD SCI USA
JF - P NATL ACAD SCI USA
SN - 0027-8424
IS - 20
M1 - 20
ER -
