Cited by 84Neuroendocrine regulation and behaviorFunctional Brain Connectivity StudiesOlfactory and Sensory Function Studies

Oxytocin’s effect on resting-state functional connectivity varies by age and sex

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Ebner, Natalie C., Chen, Huaihou, Porges, Eric, Lin, Tian, Fischer, Håkan, Feifel, David, Cohen, Ronald A.·2016·Psychoneuroendocrinology

Abstract

The neuropeptide oxytocin plays a role in social cognition and affective processing. The neural processes underlying these effects are not well understood. Modulation of connectivity strength between subcortical and cortical regions has been suggested as one possible mechanism. The current study investigated effects of intranasal oxytocin administration on resting-state functional connectivity between amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), as two regions involved in social-cognitive and affective processing. Going beyond previous work that largely examined young male participants, our study comprised young and older men and women to identify age and sex variations in oxytocin's central processes. This approach was based on known hormonal differences among these groups and emerging evidence of sex differences in oxytocin's effects on amygdala reactivity and age-by-sex-modulated effects of oxytocin in affective processing. In a double-blind design, 79 participants were randomly assigned to self-administer either intranasal oxytocin or placebo before undergoing resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Using a targeted region-to-region approach, resting-state functional connectivity strength between bilateral amygdala and mPFC was examined. Participants in the oxytocin compared to the placebo group and men compared to women had overall greater amygdala-mPFC connectivity strength at rest. These main effects were qualified by a significant three-way interaction: while oxytocin compared to placebo administration increased resting-state amygdala-mPFC connectivity for young women, oxytocin did not significantly influence connectivity in the other age-by-sex subgroups. This study provides novel evidence of age-by-sex differences in how oxytocin modulates resting-state brain connectivity, furthering our understanding of how oxytocin affects brain networks at rest.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.03.013

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Authors
Ebner, N. C., Chen, H., Porges, E., Lin, T., Fischer, H., Feifel, D., & Cohen, R. A.
Affiliations
  • University of Florida (US)
  • University of Florida Health (US)
  • Stockholm University (SE)
  • University of California San Diego (US)
Corresponding author
Ebner, Natalie C.
Venue
Psychoneuroendocrinology
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2016-07
Volume
69
Pages
50-59
ISSN
0306-4530 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2298685505
Cited by
84
References
73
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 3
FWCI
18.32
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Psychoneuroendocrinology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • University of Florida
  • National Institutes of Health (UL1TR001427, UL1TR000064, KL2TR001429)
  • National Institute on Aging (R24AG039350, P30AG028740)
  • National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Sensory Systems › Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies
Keywords
oxytocin, resting-state functional connectivity, amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex, age differences, sex differences, intranasal administration, social cognition, emotional processing, brain networks
MeSH terms
Administration, Intranasal, Adult, Age Factors, Amygdala, Brain, Double-Blind Method, Female, Humans, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Membrane Potentials, Middle Aged, Neural Pathways, Oxytocin, Sex Factors, Prefrontal Cortex

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