oxytocin and Psychological-Trauma

Although numerous studies have examined the neuroendocrinology of aggression, the findings are mixed and focused on cortisol and testosterone. We argue that past findings remain inconclusive partly because the key roles of oxytocin and trauma have not been systematically integrated yet. Oxytocin is associated with social behavior and interacts with cortisol and testosterone, whereas trauma is a crucial risk factor of aggression that strongly affects hormonal activity. In this review, we investigate the role of trauma in the hormonal interplay of cortisol, testosterone, and oxytocin in aggression during adolescence. We first discuss how these hormones interact with each other and how trauma influences these interactions and then we propose a model that highlights the role of trauma in the hormonal interplay in aggression. We suggest that the timing of trauma has a distinct effect on hormonal activity and it should be integrated into any comprehensive model. Current trauma is linked to different levels of oxytocin, cortisol, testosterone, and testosterone/cortisol ratio than childhood trauma, but this distinction is also influenced by gender and type of aggression. We conclude that in order to better understand the neuroendocrinology of aggression, it is crucial to incorporate the investigation of oxytocin and trauma in future research.

Topics: Adolescent; Adverse Childhood Experiences; Aggression; Child; Female; Humans; Hydrocortisone; Male; Neuroendocrinology; Oxytocin; Psychological Trauma; Social Behavior; Testosterone

To further understand protective mechanisms to prevent post-traumatic stress disorder or assist recovery from psychological trauma, this study investigated whether pharmacological and psychological activation of a secure attachment representation elicits higher felt-security and a related response pattern of reduced physiological arousal and increased parasympathetic activation; and whether it protects individuals from developing intrusions and experiencing distress in the week following exposure to a trauma film. Using a double-blind, experimental mixed factorial design, 101 volunteers received either oxytocin or placebo and either secure attachment or neutral priming before watching a trauma film. We measured felt security as an indicator of the strength of activation of a secure attachment representation, skin conductance and heart rate as indicators of physiological arousal, and high frequency heart rate variability as an indicator of parasympathetic activation during the priming and the film. Participants then completed a seven-day intrusion diary. Secure attachment priming, but not oxytocin administration or the combination of both, was associated with reduced physiological arousal and increased parasympathetic activity during priming. Although secure attachment priming was not related to the absolute number of intrusions or to less perceived distress or physiological arousal during the trauma film, it was associated with lower intrusion-related distress in the 7-days post-testing. Our findings extend previous research that suggests the importance of interventions that address intrusion-related distress for recovery from trauma, and suggest a promising role for secure attachment priming in trauma-focused psychological therapies. We contribute to the growing literature that finds that higher subjective distress during a trauma is associated with higher intrusion-related distress. We discuss theoretical implications and possible mechanisms through which secure attachment priming may exert potential beneficial effects.

Topics: Emotions; Humans; Motion Pictures; Oxytocin; Psychological Trauma; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

Although oxytocin administration influences behavior, its effects on peripheral oxytocin concentrations are mixed and derived from studies on healthy subjects. Additionally, trauma attenuates the behavioral effects of oxytocin, but it is unknown whether it also influences its effect on peripheral circulation. This study examined whether salivary oxytocin increased after oxytocin administration and whether trauma attenuated this effect. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subjects study in 100 male adolescents living in residential youth care facilities. Participants self-administered intranasally 24 IU of oxytocin and placebo (one week later) and provided a saliva sample before and 15 min after administration. Salivary oxytocin increased significantly after oxytocin administration, but this effect might be inflated by exogenous oxytocin reaching the throat. Trauma did not moderate this effect. Our findings suggest that trauma did not attenuate the effect of oxytocin administration on salivary oxytocin, but more robust methodologies are recommended to draw more solid conclusions.

Topics: Administration, Intranasal; Adolescent; Child; Double-Blind Method; Humans; Male; Oxytocin; Psychological Trauma; Saliva

Topics: Adult; Double-Blind Method; Fear; Female; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Oxytocin; Prefrontal Cortex; Psychological Trauma; Social Support; Treatment Outcome; Truth Disclosure; Young Adult

Topics: Amygdala; Animals; Brain; Bullying; Depression; DNA Methylation; Emotional Adjustment; Epigenesis, Genetic; Female; Hippocampus; Humans; Hydrocortisone; Maternal Behavior; Memory; Mice; Models, Animal; Oxytocin; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Psychological Trauma; Rats; Resilience, Psychological; Social Isolation; Stress, Psychological