TY - JOUR
T1 - The effects of oxytocin on social reward learning in humans
AU - Clark-Elford, Rebecca
AU - Nathan, Pradeep Jonathan
AU - Auyeung, Bonnie
AU - Voon, Valerie
AU - Sule, Akeem
AU - Muller, Ulrich
AU - Dudas, Robert B
AU - Sahakian, Barbara J
AU - Phan, Kinh Luan
AU - Baron-Cohen, Simon
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - It has been hypothesised that the mechanisms modulating social affiliation are regulated by reward circuitry. Oxytocin, previously shown to support affiliative behaviour and the processing of socio-emotional stimuli, is expressed in areas of the brain involved in reward and motivation. However, limited data are available that test if oxytocin is directly involved in reward learning, or whether oxytocin can modulate the effect of emotion on reward learning. In a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, within-group study design, 24 typical male volunteers were administered 24A IU of oxytocin or placebo and subsequently completed an affective reward learning task. Oxytocin selectively reduced performance of learning rewards, but not losses, from happy faces. The mechanism by which oxytocin may be exerting this effect is discussed in terms of whether oxytocin is affecting identity recognition via affecting the salience of happy faces. We conclude that oxytocin detrimentally affects learning rewards from happy faces in certain contexts
AB - It has been hypothesised that the mechanisms modulating social affiliation are regulated by reward circuitry. Oxytocin, previously shown to support affiliative behaviour and the processing of socio-emotional stimuli, is expressed in areas of the brain involved in reward and motivation. However, limited data are available that test if oxytocin is directly involved in reward learning, or whether oxytocin can modulate the effect of emotion on reward learning. In a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, within-group study design, 24 typical male volunteers were administered 24A IU of oxytocin or placebo and subsequently completed an affective reward learning task. Oxytocin selectively reduced performance of learning rewards, but not losses, from happy faces. The mechanism by which oxytocin may be exerting this effect is discussed in terms of whether oxytocin is affecting identity recognition via affecting the salience of happy faces. We conclude that oxytocin detrimentally affects learning rewards from happy faces in certain contexts
UR - http://journals.cambridge.org/download.php?file=%2FPNP%2FPNP17_02%2FS1461145713001120a.pdf&code=7d5908a3471450019ea5e022a6df2e32
U2 - 10.1017/S1461145713001120
DO - 10.1017/S1461145713001120
M3 - Article
SN - 1461-1457
VL - 17
SP - 199
EP - 209
JO - International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
JF - International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
IS - 2
ER -