Oxytocin modulates hippocampal perfusion in people at clinical high risk for psychosis (Murguia, 2019)
Davies Cathy, Paloyelis Yannis, Rutigliano Grazia, Cappucciati Marco, De Micheli Andrea Ramella, Cravaro Valentina, Provenzani Umberto, Antoniades Mathilde, Modinos Gemma, Oliver Dominic, Stahl Daniel,
Murguia Silvia, Zelaya Fernando, Allen Paul, Shergill Sukhi, Morrison Paul, Williams Steve, Taylor David, McGuire Philip, Fusar-Poli Paolo.
Neuropsychopharmacology 2019;44(7): 1300-1309.
Preclinical and human studies suggest that hippocampal dysfunction is a key factor in the onset of psychosis. People at Clinical High Risk for psychosis (CHR-P) present with a clinical syndrome that can include social withdrawal and have a 20–35% risk of developing psychosis in the next 2 years. Recent research shows that resting hippocampal blood flow is altered in CHR-P individuals and predicts adverse clinical outcomes, such as non-remission/transition to frank psychosis. Previous work in healthy males indicates that a single dose of intranasal oxytocin has positive effects on social function and marked effects on resting hippocampal blood flow. The present study examined the effects of intranasal oxytocin on hippocampal blood flow in CHR-P individuals. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design, 30 CHR-P males were studied using pseudo-continuous Arterial Spin Labelling on 2 occasions, once after 40IU intranasal oxytocin and once after placebo. The effects of oxytocin on left hippocampal blood flow were examined in a region-of-interest analysis of data acquired at 22–28 and at 30–36 minutes post-intranasal administration.