The role of oxytocin in social reward processing

神经激素催产素被认为调节与联系和结合相关的行为，例如通过促进接近行为。动物数据表明，催产素通过将奖励价值附加到与社会相关的线索上而发挥其亲社会效应。具体地说，有临床前证据表明，催产素可以放大奖赏相关脑区的多巴胺信号。假设，作为这一机制的结果，与互动伙伴相关的提示获得了增强的动机突显，从而增加了接近的动机。这项计划中的研究的目的是检验这一假设，即在人类身上，催产素也在处理发出社会奖励刺激信号的线索时调节大脑奖励系统的激活。为此，催产素将通过鼻腔喷雾来调节内源性催产素水平。参与者将接受催产素或安慰剂溶液，然后执行已知的激励任务，以激活多巴胺能大脑奖励系统。功能性磁共振成像将被用来评估在催产素和安慰剂溶液下与奖赏相关的大脑反应的变化。社会奖励反馈将与非社会奖励反馈进行对比，以评估催产素效应是否为社会奖励所特有。这项调查的一个特别重点将是可能的性别差异，因为有证据表明催产素可能对男性和女性有不同的影响。调查结果有望有助于改善对以社交行为障碍为特征的神经精神障碍的理解和治疗，特别是自闭症谱系障碍。

The neurohormone Oxytocin is assumed to mediate behaviors related to affiliation and bonding, for example by facilitating approach behavior. Animal data suggests that oxytocin exerts its prosocial effects by attaching rewarding value to socially relevant cues. Specifically, there is preclinical evidence that oxytocin amplifies the dopamine signal in reward related brain areas. It is assumed, that as a consequence of this mechanism, cues associated with an interaction partner receive enhanced motivational salience thereby increasing the motivation for approach. The aim of the planned study is to test the hypothesis that in humans, too, oxytocin modulates activation in the brain reward system during processing of cues signaling socially rewarding stimuli. To this end, oxytocin will be applied via nasal spray to modulate endogenous oxytocin levels. The participants will receive oxytocin or a placebo solution before performing a motivation task known to activate the dopaminergic brain reward system. Functional magnet resonance imaging will be used to assess changes in the reward associated brain response under oxytocin compared to a placebo solution. Social reward feedback will be contrasted with non-social reward feedback to assess if oxytocin effects are specific to social reward. A special focus of the investigation will be on possible sex differences as there is evidence that oxytocin might have different effects in men and women. The results of the investigation are expected to contribute to an ameliorated understanding and treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders characterized by a dysfunction in social approach behavior, in particular autism spectrum disorders.