The Role of the Oxytocin System for Human Social Cognition and Social Affiliation: a Pharmacogenetic Approach
Final Report Abstract
This current project, which demonstrates genetic modulation of sensitivity to oxytocin administration, identifies – for the first time – one specific and systematic source of individual differences in response to oxytocin administration. The identification of this new haplotype block conferring differences in oxytocin-induced socio-emotional behavior will not only help advance a basic scientific understanding of the human oxytocin system, but may also improve the prediction of clinical outcomes of novel therapy approaches using oxytocin. More specifically, these results may help to bridge the insights from a pharmacogenetic approach to psychobiological therapy combining oxytocin administration and psychotherapy for genetically targeted subgroups of patients with social deficits across diagnostic categories of mental disorders (e.g., autism spectrum disorder, social anxiety disorder, borderline personality disorder). More such personalized treatment strategies are necessary to help fulfil the immense promise of translational success of oxytocin-based therapies.
Publications
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(2013). Epigenetic regulation of the oxytocin receptor gene: implications for behavioral neuroscience. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 7, 1-6
Kumsta, R., Hummel, E., Chen, F. S. & Heinrichs, M.
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(2013). Oxytocin, stress and social behavior: neurogenetics of the human oxytocin system. Current Opinion in Neurobiology, 23, 11-16
Kumsta, R. & Heinrichs, M.
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(2015). Genetic modulation of oxytocin sensitivity: a pharmacogenetic approach. Translational Psychiatry, 5, e664(1-7)
Chen, F. S., Kumsta, R., Dvorak, F., Domes, G., Yim, O.-S., Ebstein, R. P. & Heinrichs, M.
