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Articles, Behavioral/Systems/Cognitive

Oxytocin Enhances Amygdala-Dependent, Socially Reinforced Learning and Emotional Empathy in Humans

René Hurlemann, Alexandra Patin, Oezguer A. Onur, Michael X. Cohen, Tobias Baumgartner, Sarah Metzler, Isabel Dziobek, Juergen Gallinat, Michael Wagner, Wolfgang Maier and Keith M. Kendrick
Journal of Neuroscience 7 April 2010, 30 (14) 4999-5007; https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5538-09.2010
René Hurlemann
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Alexandra Patin
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Oezguer A. Onur
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Michael X. Cohen
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Tobias Baumgartner
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Sarah Metzler
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Isabel Dziobek
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Juergen Gallinat
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Michael Wagner
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Wolfgang Maier
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Keith M. Kendrick
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    Figure 1.

    CCT demonstrates selective bilateral calcification damage to the amygdala in Urbach–Wiethe patients 1 (left) and 2 (right). This damage is no longer restricted to the BLA (Hurlemann et al., 2007), which is consistent with the slowly progressive nature of intracranial mineralizations in Urbach–Wiethe disease (Appenzeller et al., 2006).

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    Figure 2.

    RALT. A, Letters “A” and “B” flanked either a female or a male facial display in social trials and a black circle in nonsocial trials. Subjects judged whether three-digit numerical items presented repeatedly on a computer screen belonged to either category “A” or “B”; visual feedback immediately followed each judgment. Neutral faces changed to happy for correct responses or to angry for incorrect responses in the social condition (S). Black circles changed to green for correct responses or to red for incorrect responses in the nonsocial condition (NS). Bi, Percentage correct responses for the nonsocial condition did not differ between male subjects treated with OT (n = 24) or placebo (PLC, n = 24). Bii, Oxytocin increased overall performance up to 27.3 ± 7.8% above chance level in male subjects, compared to 20.3 ± 8.3% above chance for placebo controls in the social condition (*p < 0.05). Biii, Reaction times for the nonsocial condition did not differ between male subjects treated with oxytocin or placebo. Biv, Reaction times for the social condition did not differ between male subjects treated with oxytocin or placebo. Ci, Percentage correct responses did not differ between two UW patients and controls (CTRL, n = 16) for the nonsocial condition. Cii, Percentage correct responses decreased in UW patients compared to controls for the social condition (see Results section for Z scores). Ciii, Reaction times did not differ between UW patients and controls for the nonsocial condition. Civ, Reaction times were increased for UW patients compared with controls for the social condition. Significance threshold *p < 0.05 indicates differences between groups. Error bars indicate SEM.

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    Figure 3.

    MET. A, Given are four example pictures taken from the MET to test for negative (left two scenes) and positive (right two scenes) empathy valence. To assess cognitive empathy (C), participants were required to infer the mental state of the individual in each scene, and indicated the correct one from a list of four alternatives by push-button responses. For emotional empathy, participants were required to rate on a 1–9 intensity scale of how much they were feeling for the individual in each scene (ED) or how much they were aroused by each scene (EI). B, Cognitive empathy scores (C− = negative valence; C+ = positive valence; C = positive and negative combined) did not differ between male subjects treated with OT (n = 24) and placebo controls (PLC; n = 24). C, Cognitive empathy scores did not differ between controls (CTRL, n = 10) and both UW patients, patients 1 and 2. D, Emotional empathy ratings were increased across all categories [direct emotional empathy, negative valence (ED−), positive valence (ED+), and overall (ED); indirect emotional empathy, negative valence (EI−), positive valence (EI+), and overall (EI)] in male subjects treated with OT (n = 24) compared to placebo (PLC, n = 24). E, Emotional empathy ratings were decreased across all emotional empathy categories (as in D) for both UW twins, but particularly for patient 2, compared with controls (CTRL, n = 10) (Z scores are given in the results section). F, Cognitive empathy scores did not differ between women (n = 10) and men (n = 24). G, Emotional empathy ratings were increased across all categories (as in D) for women compared to men. Significant between-group differences: **p < 0.01, *p < 0.05. Error bars indicate SEM.

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The Journal of Neuroscience: 30 (14)
Journal of Neuroscience
Vol. 30, Issue 14
7 Apr 2010
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Oxytocin Enhances Amygdala-Dependent, Socially Reinforced Learning and Emotional Empathy in Humans
René Hurlemann, Alexandra Patin, Oezguer A. Onur, Michael X. Cohen, Tobias Baumgartner, Sarah Metzler, Isabel Dziobek, Juergen Gallinat, Michael Wagner, Wolfgang Maier, Keith M. Kendrick
Journal of Neuroscience 7 April 2010, 30 (14) 4999-5007; DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5538-09.2010

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Oxytocin Enhances Amygdala-Dependent, Socially Reinforced Learning and Emotional Empathy in Humans
René Hurlemann, Alexandra Patin, Oezguer A. Onur, Michael X. Cohen, Tobias Baumgartner, Sarah Metzler, Isabel Dziobek, Juergen Gallinat, Michael Wagner, Wolfgang Maier, Keith M. Kendrick
Journal of Neuroscience 7 April 2010, 30 (14) 4999-5007; DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5538-09.2010
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