Individual differences in emotional expressivity predict oxytocin responses to cortisol administration: relevance to breast cancer?
Abstract
Reduced emotional expression has been consistently related to susceptibility or fast progression of breast cancer. Breast cancer development and reduced emotional expression have both been related to rejection- and separation-related conditions. The neuropeptide oxytocin is low in response to rejection or separation. Recent results suggest that oxytocin may protect against the development of breast cancer and slow its progression. In the present study, we investigated if individual differences in emotional expressivity relate to basal or cortisol-stimulated plasma oxytocin. Healthy female subjects were treated with placebo or 35mg of cortisol orally in a double-blind within-subject study. Seventy minutes later, blood was sampled for determination of oxytocin and cortisol levels. We found an interaction between treatment condition and Emotional Expression-out scores: after cortisol treatment, oxytocin levels increased proportional to Emotion Expression-out score. These preliminary findings provide a potential mechanism for associations in the literature between emotional expressive behavior and breast cancer.
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OXT is released endogenously following positive social interactions between existing social partners in humans and nonhuman primates.
“OXT is released endogenously following positive social interactions between existing social partners in humans (Grewen et al., 2005; Tops et al., 2007; Taylor et al., 2010) and nonhuman primates (Snowdon et al., 2010; Crockford et al., 2013).”
From Marmosets treated with oxytocin are more socially attractive to their long-term mate (2015) · cites this paper as Tops et al., 2007
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Mohiyeddini, C., John, O. P., & Gross, J. J. (2008)
- Authors
- Tops, M., van Peer, J. M., & Korf, J.
- Affiliations
- University Medical Center Groningen (NL)
- ORCID
- Korf, Jakob
- Venue
- Biological Psychology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2007-05
- Volume
- 75
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 119-123
- ISSN
- 0301-0511 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2135269817
- Cited by
- 38
- References
- 27
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 2 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 3.67
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Biological Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (submittedVersion)
- Radboud Repository (Radboud University) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet
- Universitair Medisch Centrum Groningen
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Cancer, Stress, Anesthesia, and Immune Response
- Keywords
- emotional expressivity, oxytocin, cortisol, breast cancer, individual differences, rejection, separation, plasma oxytocin
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Affective Symptoms, Arousal, Breast Neoplasms, Communication, Double-Blind Method, Emotions, Fear, Female, Humans, Hydrocortisone, Individuality, Internal-External Control, Middle Aged, Oxytocin, Surveys and Questionnaires, Rejection, Psychology
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