The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 611731, China.
Department of Molecular Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany.
Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2020 Oct;39:99-110. doi: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2020.08.003. Epub 2020 Aug 26.
Touch plays a crucial role in affiliative behavior and social communication. The neuropeptide oxytocin is released in response to touch and may act to facilitate the rewarding effects of social touch. However, no studies to date have determined whether oxytocin facilitates behavioral or neural responses to non-socially administered affective touch and possible differential effects of touch valence. In a functional MRI experiment using a randomized placebo-controlled, within-subject design in 40 male subjects we investigated the effects of intranasal oxytocin (24IU) on behavioral and neural responses to positive, neutral and negative valence touch administered to the arm via different types of materials at a frequency aimed to optimally stimulate C-fibers. Results showed that oxytocin significantly increased both the perceived pleasantness of touch and activation of the orbitofrontal cortex independent of touch valence. The effects of OT on touch-evoked orbitofrontal activation were also positively associated with basal oxytocin concentrations in blood. Additionally, anterior insula activity and the functional connectivity between the amygdala and right anterior insula were enhanced only in response to negative valence touch. Overall, the present study provides the first evidence that oxytocin may facilitate the rewarding effects of all types of touch, irrespective of valence.
触摸在亲和行为和社会交流中起着至关重要的作用。神经肽催产素在受到触摸时会被释放出来，并可能有助于促进社会触摸的奖励效应。然而，迄今为止，尚无研究确定催产素是否促进了对非社会给予的情感触摸的行为或神经反应，以及触摸效价的可能差异影响。在一项功能磁共振成像实验中，我们使用了随机安慰剂对照、40 名男性被试者的个体内设计，研究了鼻内催产素（24IU）对通过不同类型的材料以旨在最佳刺激 C 纤维的频率施加到手臂上的正性、中性和负性效价触摸的行为和神经反应的影响。结果表明，催产素显著增加了触摸的感知愉悦度和眶额皮层的激活，而与触摸效价无关。OT 对触摸诱发的眶额激活的影响也与血液中的基础催产素浓度呈正相关。此外，只有在负性效价触摸时，前岛叶的活动和杏仁核与右前岛叶之间的功能连接才会增强。总的来说，本研究首次提供了证据表明，催产素可能促进所有类型触摸的奖励效应，而与效价无关。
