The role of oxytocin in empathy to the pain of conflictual out-group members among patients with schizophrenia

Background.Oxytocin (OT) is associated with our ability to empathize and has been shown to play a major role in mediating social behaviors within the context of intergroup dynamics. Schizophrenia is associated with impaired empathy, and with a dysfunctional oxytocinergic system. The effect of OT on the empathic responses of patients with schizophrenia within the context of intergroup relationships has not been studied. The present study examined the effect of OT on the patients' empathic responses to pain experienced by in-group, conflictual out-group and neutral out-group members.Method.In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject cross-over design, the responses on the Pain Evaluation Task of 28 male patients with schizophrenia were compared to 27 healthy male controls. All participants received a single intranasal dose of 24 IU OT or placebo, 1 week apart.Results.OT induced an empathy bias in the healthy controls towards the conflictual out-group members. Although this effect was absent in the patient group, OT seems to heighten an empathic bias in the patient group towards the in-group members when rating non-painful stimuli.Conclusions.The study demonstrates that the administration of OT can result in empathic bias towards adversary out-group members in healthy controls but not in patients with schizophrenia. However, the OT-induced bias in both the patients (in the no-pain condition towards the in-group members) and the healthy controls (in the no-pain and pain conditions towards the adversary out-group) suggests that OT enhances the distinction between conflictual in-group and out-group members.

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Planum parietale volume in antipsychotic-naïve schizophrenia

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/s0924-9338(11)73209-6 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 26 (S2) ◽

pp. 1505-1505

Author(s):

V. Shivakumar ◽

S.V. Kalmady ◽

G. Venkatasubramanian ◽

S. Gautham ◽

S. Aditi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Parietal Lobe ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Inferior Parietal Lobule ◽

Time Study ◽

Female Patients ◽

Male Patients ◽

Parietal Lobule ◽

First Rank Symptoms ◽

First Time

IntroductionFirst Rank Symptoms (FRS) - a group of intriguing experiences characterized by striking breach of ‘self versus non-self’ boundaries - have had a critical influence on the diagnosis of schizophrenia. Inferior Parietal Lobule is implicated in the pathogenesis of FRS in Schizophrenia. However, the role of Planum Parietale (PP) in the genesis of FRS is yet to be examined.Aims & objectivesThis first time study (to the best of our knowledge), aims to examine antipsychotic-naïve schizophrenia patients for the effect of FRS status on volume of PP.MethodIn this study we examined the volume of PP in antipsychotic-naïve schizophrenia patients (n = 32; M:F = 16:16) in comparison with age, sex, and handedness matched (as a group) healthy comparison subjects (n = 34; M:F = 16:18) using valid method with good inter-rater reliability.ResultsFemale Schizophrenia patients showed significant volume reduction in right PP in comparison with female healthy controls (F = 7.2; p = 0.01). However, male patients did not. There was a significant effect of schneiderian FRS in female patients in that those who had FRS had significantly smaller volume of right PP than healthy controls (F = 3.8; p = 0.03); where those female patients who were FRS negative did not differ. Left PP volume did not differ between patients and controls.ConclusionsCurrent study supports previous studies which have implicated the role of parietal lobe in pathogenesis of FRS. Specific role of PP in FRS generation and possible implication of sex differences needs further systematic studies.

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Oxytocin promotes coordinated out-group attack during intergroup conflict in humans

10.1101/403790 ◽

2018 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Hejing Zhang ◽

Joerg Gross ◽

Carsten De Dreu ◽

Yina Ma

Keyword(s):

Intergroup Conflict ◽

Controlled Study ◽

Critical Component ◽

Double Blind ◽

Double Blind Placebo ◽

Group Coordination ◽

Group Efficiency ◽

Group Members ◽

Over Time

Intergroup conflict contributes to human discrimination and violence, but persists because individuals make costly contributions to their group's fighting capacity. Yet how group members effectively coordinate their contributions during intergroup conflict remains poorly understood. Here we examine the role of oxytocin for (the coordination of) contributions to group attack or defense in multi-round, real-time feedback intergroup contests. In a double-blind placebo-controlled study with N=480 males in Intergroup Attacker-Defender Contests, we found that oxytocin reduced contributions to attack and over time increased attacker's within-group coordination of contributions. However, rather than becoming peaceful, attackers given oxytocin better tracked their rival's historical defense and coordinated their contributions into well-timed and hence more profitable attacks. Our results reveal coordination of contributions as a critical component of successful attacks and subscribe to the possibility that oxytocin enables individuals to contribute to in-group efficiency and prosperity even when doing so implies outsiders are excluded or harmed.

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Oxytocin promotes coordinated out-group attack during intergroup conflict in humans

eLife ◽

10.7554/elife.40698 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Hejing Zhang ◽

Jörg Gross ◽

Carsten De Dreu ◽

Yina Ma

Keyword(s):

Intergroup Conflict ◽

Editorial Note ◽

Controlled Study ◽

Editorial Process ◽

Double Blind ◽

Double Blind Placebo ◽

Group Efficiency ◽

Group Members ◽

Over Time

Intergroup conflict contributes to human discrimination and violence, but persists because individuals make costly contributions to their group’s fighting capacity. Yet how group members effectively coordinate their contributions during intergroup conflict remains poorly understood. Here we examine the role of oxytocin for (the coordination of) contributions to group attack or defense in a multi-round, real-time feedback economic contest. In a double-blind placebo-controlled study with N=480 males in an Intergroup Attacker-Defender contest game, we found that oxytocin reduced contributions to attack and over time increased attacker’s within-group coordination of contributions. However, rather than becoming peaceful, attackers given oxytocin better tracked their rival’s historical defense and coordinated their contributions into well-timed and hence more profitable attacks. Our results reveal coordination of contributions as a critical component of successful attacks and subscribe to the possibility that oxytocin enables individuals to contribute to in-group efficiency and prosperity even when doing so implies outsiders are excluded or harmed.Editorial note: This article has been through an editorial process in which the authors decide how to respond to the issues raised during peer review. The Reviewing Editor's assessment is that all the issues have been addressed (<xref ref-type="decision-letter" rid="SA1">see decision letter</xref>).

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The power of norms to sway fused group members

Behavioral and Brain Sciences ◽

10.1017/s0140525x18001644 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 41 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Winnifred R. Louis ◽

Craig McGarty ◽

Emma F. Thomas ◽

Catherine E. Amiot ◽

Fathali M. Moghaddam

Keyword(s):

Evolutionary Anthropology ◽

Normative Systems ◽

Violent Extremism ◽

Identity Fusion ◽

Group Members

AbstractWhitehouse adapts insights from evolutionary anthropology to interpret extreme self-sacrifice through the concept of identity fusion. The model neglects the role of normative systems in shaping behaviors, especially in relation to violent extremism. In peaceful groups, increasing fusion will actually decrease extremism. Groups collectively appraise threats and opportunities, actively debate action options, and rarely choose violence toward self or others.

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884: Phase I, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study in Healthy Male Subjects to Investigate the Safety, Tolerability, and Pharmacokinetics of DA-8159

The Journal of Urology ◽

10.1016/s0022-5347(18)38133-3 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 171 (4S) ◽

pp. 234-234 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Harin Padma-Nathan ◽

Jae Seung Pacik ◽

Byoung Ok Ahn ◽

Kyung Koo Kang ◽

Mi Young Bahng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Phase I ◽

Controlled Study ◽

Healthy Male ◽

Double Blind ◽

Double Blind Placebo ◽

Male Subjects

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The codevelopment of group relationships: The role of individual group member’s and other group members’ mutual influence and shared group environment.

Journal of Counseling Psychology ◽

10.1037/cou0000349 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 66 (5) ◽

pp. 640-649 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Gianluca Lo Coco ◽

Salvatore Gullo ◽

Gabriele Profita ◽

Chiara Pazzagli ◽

Claudia Mazzeschi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mutual Influence ◽

Individual Group ◽

Group Environment ◽

Group Members ◽

Group Relationships

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Understanding Intergroup Relationships: The Role of RWA and SDO from a Longitudinal Perspective

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e507582012-001 ◽

2011 ◽

Author(s):

Hector Carvacho ◽

Roberto Gonzalez ◽

Jorge M. Manzi

Keyword(s):

Intergroup Relationships

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Rheumatoid Factor in Type 2 Male Diabetes Mellitus Patients in a Tertiary Care Hospital of Bangladesh

Journal of Current and Advance Medical Research ◽

10.3329/jcamr.v4i2.36358 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

pp. 58-62

Author(s):

Roksana Yeasmin ◽

MA Muttalib ◽

Kazi Nazneen Sultana ◽

Nizamul Hoque Bhuiyan ◽

Md Jamil Hasan Karami ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Diabetes Mellitus ◽

Type 2 Diabetes ◽

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus ◽

Uric Acid ◽

Rheumatoid Factor ◽

Serum Uric Acid ◽

Control Group ◽

Healthy Male ◽

Male Patients

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease characterized by relative or absolute deficiency of insulin, resulting in glucose intolerance.Objectives: The present study was planned to see the associations of serum uric acid with positive Rheumatoid factor in type 2 male diabetes mellitus patients. Methodology: This case control study was carried out at the department of Biochemistry at Ibrahim Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh. The duration of the study was from June 2015 to June 2016 for a period of one year. In this present study, male patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were taken as case group and age and sex matched healthy male were taken as control group. Rheumatoid factor was measured from the blood of all case and control group respondents. Others blood para meters were also measured for the correlation with the diabetes mellitus patients.Results: In this present study, 110 male patients presented with type 2 diabetes mellitus were recruited as case and age and sex matched healthy male were recruited as control. More rheumatoid factor positive in type 2 DM male patients with the uric acid range between 6.5 to 9.5 mg/dL. The number of patients was 5 out of total 9 rheumatoid factor positive cases. In this study serum uric acid was significantly correlated with rheumatoid factor in type 2 male diabetic patients. Rheumatoid factor positive cases were taking insulin among 9 and it was statistically significantly associated (p<0.001). Conclusion: In this study serum uric acid is significantly associated with positive rheumatoid factor in type 2 male diabetic patients.Journal of Current and Advance Medical Research 2017;4(2):58-62

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