Brown Casey K, De Coster Lize, Lee Junghee, Lin Lisa, Mathalon Daniel H, Woolley Joshua D
Georgetown University, Department of Psychology, USA.
University of Gothenburg, Department of Applied Information Technology, Sweden.
Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2025 Feb;172:107228. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107228. Epub 2024 Nov 8.
Empathic accuracy, the ability to accurately understand other people's emotions, is a complex social cognitive skill that is often impaired in schizophrenia and this impairment is associated with poor functional outcomes. Intranasally administered oxytocin, a neuropeptide implicated in social behavior, is thought to improve empathic accuracy for individuals with schizophrenia. However, early experiences related to caregiving may shape the oxytocinergic system and influence individual responses to oxytocin administration. Using a cross-over, double-blind, placebo-controlled design coupled with fMRI, the current study investigated whether administration of oxytocin improves empathic accuracy in schizophrenia compared to a matched placebo, and the moderating role of early maternal care. Results revealed that, compared to controls, individuals with schizophrenia had lower empathic accuracy and recruited a sparser pattern of neural activation to achieve empathic accuracy. Oxytocin administration was not associated with improved empathic accuracy for either group. However, in both groups, individuals reporting higher maternal care demonstrated the greatest improvements in empathic accuracy with oxytocin administration, accompanied by decreased activity in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, a region implicated in selective attention to socioemotional stimuli. Findings highlight the importance of examining individual differences in responses to oxytocin administration and suggest that early social experiences influence later responses to oxytocin administration.
共情准确性，即准确理解他人情绪的能力，是一种复杂的社会认知技能，在精神分裂症患者中常常受损，且这种损害与不良的功能结局相关。鼻内给药的催产素是一种与社会行为有关的神经肽，被认为可以提高精神分裂症患者的共情准确性。然而，与照料相关的早期经历可能会塑造催产素能系统，并影响个体对催产素给药的反应。本研究采用交叉、双盲、安慰剂对照设计并结合功能磁共振成像，调查了与匹配的安慰剂相比，催产素给药是否能提高精神分裂症患者的共情准确性，以及早期母婴照料的调节作用。结果显示，与对照组相比，精神分裂症患者的共情准确性较低，且为了实现共情准确性而募集的神经激活模式较为稀疏。催产素给药对两组的共情准确性提高均无关联。然而，在两组中，报告母婴照料程度较高的个体在接受催产素给药后共情准确性改善最大，同时右侧背外侧前额叶皮质的活动减少，该区域与对社会情感刺激的选择性注意有关。研究结果突出了检查催产素给药反应个体差异的重要性，并表明早期社会经历会影响后期对催产素给药的反应。
