Intranasal oxytocin modulates the salience network in aging
Peiwei Liu1, Tian Lin1, David Feifel2
1Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
Neuroimage
|March 8, 2022
Summary
Intranasal oxytocin reduces salience network connectivity in the brain, particularly in older adults. This neuropeptide impacts social information processing differently across age groups.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Social Cognitive Neuroscience
- Aging Brain Research
Background:
- Oxytocin is implicated in social cognition and prosocial behavior.
- Its precise effects on the brain's salience network, especially in aging, remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of intranasal oxytocin on the salience network's functional connectivity.
- To explore age-related differences in oxytocin's effects on this network.
Main Methods:
- Randomized controlled trial with intranasal oxytocin or placebo.
- Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in young and older adults.
- Independent component analysis (ICA) to identify the salience network.
Main Results:
- Oxytocin administration decreased resting-state functional connectivity in the salience network, specifically involving the left amygdala and right insula.
- This reduction in connectivity was more pronounced in older adults, particularly between the ventral salience network and the left amygdala.
Conclusions:
- Exogenous oxytocin modulates resting-state functional connectivity within the salience network.
- Oxytocin's effects on the salience network exhibit age-differential patterns, suggesting a greater impact on older individuals.
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