一項研究發現,一劑後葉催產素激素可能激活與社會互動有關的大腦區域。
科研人員已經證明了通過噴鼻給藥的後葉催產素能增強自閉症兒童的社會能力。然而,這種效應背後的大腦機制仍然不清楚。
Ilanit Gordon及其同事使用功能磁共振成像(fMRI)監測了自閉症兒童的大腦活動。在接受了一劑鼻內給藥的後葉催產素之後,這些兒童進行了社會和非社會任務,諸如根據眼睛的照片對一個人的精神狀態分類,以及對汽車的照片進行歸類,前者是一種社會判斷,而後者不是一種社會判斷。
這組作者報告說,與獎賞、社會感知以及情緒意識有關的大腦中心在有後葉催產素的非社會任務中表現出了比沒有後葉催產素的社會任務更多的活動。在非社會任務中大腦的某些區域的活動也減少了,這提示後葉催產素可能讓大腦跟上社會和非社會判斷的差異。此外,在實驗中,唾液的後葉催產素濃度與社會腦活動的增加有正相關性。
這組作者提出,後葉催產素可能幫助讓社會互動更有回報性,因為在實驗中激活的大腦區域在自閉症患者中間被認為活動減退。這組作者說,這些發現可能為在自閉症治療中使用後葉催產素提供信息。(生物谷Bioon.com)
生物谷推薦的英文摘要
Proceedings of the National Academy of the Sciences of the United States of America doi: 10.1073/pnas.1312857110
Oxytocin enhances brain function in children with autism
Ilanit Gordona,b,1, Brent C. Vander Wyka, Randi H. Bennetta, Cara Cordeauxa, Molly V. Lucasa, Jeffrey A. Eilbotta, Orna Zagoory-Sharonc, James F.Kevin A. Pelphreya
Following intranasal administration of oxytocin (OT), we measured, via functional MRI, changes in brain activity during judgments of socially (Eyes) and nonsocially (Vehicles) meaningful pictures in 17 children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD). OT increased activity in the striatum, the middle frontal gyrus, the medial prefrontal cortex, the right orbitofrontal cortex, and the left superior temporal sulcus. In the striatum, nucleus accumbens, left posterior superior temporal sulcus, and left premotor cortex, OT increased activity during social judgments and decreased activity during nonsocial judgments. Changes in salivary OT concentrations from baseline to 30 min postadministration were positively associated with increased activity in the right amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex during social vs. nonsocial judgments. OT may thus selectively have an impact on salience and hedonic evaluations of socially meaningful stimuli in children with ASD, and thereby facilitate social attunement. These findings further the development of a neurophysiological systems-level understanding of mechanisms by which OT may enhance social functioning in children with ASD.