Oxytocin modulates emotion, learning, and memory: Insights from advanced fMRI analysis techniques

Abstract

Background and objective: Oxytocin (OT), a hormone and neurotransmitter, plays a critical role in human behavior and cognition, including social bonding, reproduction, and stress response. Intranasal OT administration may enhance brain function, offering therapeutic benefits for socioemotional deficits. This study explores OT's effects on the Papez circuit in younger and older adults using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and advanced data analysis, focusing on emotion management, learning, attention, and memory.

Method: Eighty-seven healthy participants (both young and older adults) underwent resting-state fMRI after receiving OT or placebo nasal sprays. Seed-to-voxel and region of interest (ROI-to-ROI) analyses were used to investigate the effects of OT on functional connectivity within the Papez network. Graph theory analysis evaluated topological properties of brain networks and identified connectivity differences between the OT and placebo groups.

Result: Advanced analysis revealed significant differences in brain activity and connectivity within the Papez circuit between OT and placebo groups. Graph theoretical analysis showed statistically significant differences in graph measures for the thalamus, posterior cingulate (PC), anterior cingulate (AC), and parahippocampus.

Conclusion: Our findings enhance understanding of brain activation changes following intranasal OT administration, offering valuable insights for pharmacists, psychiatrists, and psychologists. The results highlight OT's potential as a therapeutic tool for diagnosing and treating psychiatric disorders.

Keywords: FMRI; Functional connectivity; Graph theory analysis; Oxytocin; Papez circuit.