Adaptive coding of the value of social cues with oxytocin, an fMRI study in autism spectrum disorder
Abstract
The neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) is one of the major targets of research in neuroscience, with respect to social functioning. Oxytocin promotes social skills and improves the quality of face processing in individuals with social dysfunctions such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Although one of OT's key functions is to promote social behavior during dynamic social interactions, the neural correlates of this function remain unknown. Here, we combined acute intranasal OT (IN-OT) administration (24 IU) and fMRI with an interactive ball game and a face-matching task in individuals with ASD (N = 20). We found that IN-OT selectively enhanced the brain activity of early visual areas in response to faces as compared to non-social stimuli. OT inhalation modulated the BOLD activity of amygdala and hippocampus in a context-dependent manner. Interestingly, IN-OT intake enhanced the activity of mid-orbitofrontal cortex in response to a fair partner, and insula region in response to an unfair partner. These OT-induced neural responses were accompanied by behavioral improvements in terms of allocating appropriate feelings of trust toward different partners' profiles. Our findings suggest that OT impacts the brain activity of key areas implicated in attention and emotion regulation in an adaptive manner, based on the value of social cues.
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Oxytocin is released during social interaction between humans.
“Oxytocin is released during social interaction between humans.”
From The Oxytocinergic System as a Mediator of Anti-stress and Instorative Effects Induced by Nature: The Calm and Connection Theory (2021) · cites this paper as Andari et al., 2016
Administration of synthetic oxytocin enhances activity in brain areas linked to wellbeing, reward, and social activity.
“These studies have shown that administration of synthetic oxytocin enhances the activity in brain areas linked to wellbeing, reward, and social activity (Andari et al., 2016; Bethlehem et al., 2017).”
From The Oxytocinergic System as a Mediator of Anti-stress and Instorative Effects Induced by Nature: The Calm and Connection Theory (2021) · cites this paper as Andari et al., 2016
Most randomized clinical trials have found some oxytocin effects on ASD symptoms and brain function, but not all trials have reported effects.
“While most randomized clinical trials have found some oxytocin effects on ASD symptoms33,50–52 and brain function50–52,80,81, not all trials have reported effects82.”
From Randomized clinical trial shows no substantial modulation of empathy-related neural activation by intranasal oxytocin in autism (2021) · cites this paper as [81]
IN-OT enhanced BOLD activity of visual areas (inferior occipital lobe) during perception of players' faces in individuals with ASD playing the social ball-toss game.
“More recently, in an fMRI study, individuals with ASD playing the social ball-toss game showed enhanced BOLD activity of visual areas (inferior occipital lobe) during the perception of players’ faces following IN-OT intake (Andari et al. 2016), a finding that is in line with the OT-dependent attention increase to social cues.”
From A precision medicine approach to oxytocin trials (2017) · cites this paper as Andari et al. 2016
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- Authors
- Andari, E., Richard, N., Leboyer, M., & Sirigu, A.
- Affiliations
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- Inserm (FR)
- Corresponding author
- Andari, Elissar
- Venue
- Cortex
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2016-03
- Volume
- 76
- Pages
- 79-88
- ISSN
- 0010-9452 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2253101848
- Cited by
- 62
- References
- 39
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 2
- FWCI
- 12.56
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Cortex (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Face Recognition and Perception
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
- Keywords
- oxytocin, autism spectrum disorder, social cues, face processing, amygdala, hippocampus, orbitofrontal cortex, insula, trust, social interaction, emotion regulation, early visual areas, intranasal administration
- MeSH terms
- Autism Spectrum Disorder, Administration, Intranasal, Amygdala, Cues, Emotions, Female, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Oxytocin, Social Behavior
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