Cited by 549Neuroendocrine regulation and behaviorAnxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive ProcessesNeuropeptides and Animal Physiology

Oxytocin Attenuates Amygdala Reactivity to Fear in Generalized Social Anxiety Disorder

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Labuschagne, Izelle, Phan, K Luan, Wood, Amanda, Angstadt, Mike, Chua, Phyllis, Heinrichs, Markus, Stout, Julie C, Nathan, Pradeep J·2010·Neuropsychopharmacology

Abstract

Patients with generalized social anxiety disorder (GSAD) exhibit heightened activation of the amygdala in response to social cues conveying threat (eg, fearful/angry faces). The neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) decreases anxiety and stress, facilitates social encounters, and attenuates amygdala reactivity to threatening faces in healthy subjects. The goal of this study was to examine the effects of OXT on fear-related amygdala reactivity in GSAD and matched healthy control (CON) subjects. In a functional magnetic resonance imaging study utilizing a double-blind placebo-controlled within-subjects design, we measured amygdala activation to an emotional face matching task of fearful, angry, and happy faces following acute intranasal administration of OXT (24 IU or 40.32 μg) and placebo in 18 GSAD and 18 CON subjects. Both the CON and GSAD groups activated bilateral amygdala to all emotional faces during placebo, with the GSAD group exhibiting hyperactivity specifically to fearful faces in bilateral amygdala compared with the CON group. OXT had no effect on amygdala activity to emotional faces in the CON group, but attenuated the heightened amygdala reactivity to fearful faces in the GSAD group, such that the hyperactivity observed during the placebo session was no longer evident following OXT (ie, normalization). These findings suggest that OXT has a specific effect on fear-related amygdala activity, particularly when the amygdala is hyperactive, such as in GSAD, thereby providing a brain-based mechanism of the impact of OXT in modulating the exaggerated processing of social signals of threat in patients with pathological anxiety.

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  1. Beck A, Steer R. Manual for the Beck Anxiety Inventory. Psychological Corporation: San Antonio, TX; 1990. [Google Scholar]
  2. Beck A, Steer R, Brown G. Manual for Beck Depression Inventory-II. Psychological Corporation: San Antonio, Tex; 1996. [Google Scholar]
  3. WHO, World Health Organization . Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI, Version 2.1. World Health Organization: Geneva; 1997. [Google Scholar]

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Authors
Labuschagne, I., Phan, K. L., Wood, A., Angstadt, M., Chua, P., Heinrichs, M., Stout, J. C., & Nathan, P. J.
Affiliations
  • Monash University (AU)
  • University of Michigan (US)
  • Royal Children's Hospital (AU)
  • University of Freiburg (DE)
  • University of Cambridge (GB)
Corresponding author
Nathan, Pradeep J
Venue
Neuropsychopharmacology
Published
2010-08-18
Volume
35
Issue
12
Pages
2403-2413
ISSN
  • 0893-133X (ISSN-L)
  • 1740-634X
OpenAlex
W2116280488
Cited by
549
References
91
Citations by year
2026: 14 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 62 · 2022: 22 · 2021: 22 · 2020: 47 · 2019: 27 · 2018: 35 · 2017: 48 · 2016: 37 · 2015: 54 · 2014: 44 · 2013: 43 · 2012: 28
FWCI
45.04
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Neuropsychopharmacology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Research Bank (Australian Catholic University) (submittedVersion)
  • Own your potential (DEAKIN) (submittedVersion)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • FreiDok plus (Universitätsbibliothek Freiburg) (submittedVersion)
  • Aston Publications Explorer (Aston University) (submittedVersion)
  • University of Birmingham Research Portal (University of Birmingham) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (114788)
  • National Institute of Mental Health (MH076198, K23MH076198)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuropeptides and Animal Physiology
Keywords
oxytocin, generalized social anxiety disorder, amygdala reactivity, fear, emotional face processing, amygdala hyperactivity, intranasal administration, social danger
MeSH terms
Administration, Intranasal, Adult, Amygdala, Anxiety Disorders, Brain Mapping, Double-Blind Method, Facial Expression, Fear, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Middle Aged, Oxytocin, Placebos, Psychomotor Performance

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