Class
Article
College
Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services
Department
Psychology Department
Faculty Mentor
Sara Freeman
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a chronic, psychiatric disorder characterized by hallucinations, delusions, cognitive deficits, and social cognitive impairments. Although antipsychotic drugs are typically effective in treating psychotic symptoms in schizophrenia, the social cognitive symptoms often persist. As social cognitive functioning is predictive of successful life outcomes in schizophrenia, there is a critical need to determine the biological basis of social cognitive impairments. Due to its ability to affect social behaviors in animals and humans, the oxytocin (OXT) system has become a therapeutic target of interest for schizophrenia. Although several studies examine the OXT system in schizophrenia in the periphery, it is currently unclear whether there is dysfunction of central OXT in schizophrenia. Using receptor autoradiography and postmortem specimens from the NIH NeuroBioBank, we examined oxytocin receptor (OXTR) binding in the substantia nigra between individuals who had schizophrenia (n=16) and unaffected controls (n=16). The Freeman Lab has identified the substantia nigra as a region of interest in the human brain, due to its high levels of OXTR. No differences in OXTR binding were observed between individuals who had schizophrenia and controls. We also observed no effects of sex on OXTR binding in the substantia nigra. We found a trend toward decreases in OXTR binding with advanced age in the schizophrenia group, a finding that was not observed in unaffected controls. Our findings suggest that OXTR functioning is preserved in the substantia nigra in schizophrenia. However, it is unclear whether variation in OXTR binding in SZ in the substantia nigra is masked by effects of antipsychotic medication on OXTR. In future work, we will determine whether OXTR binding varies with antipsychotic medication dosage and examine OXTR binding in the hypothalamus (oxytocin synthesis) and superior temporal sulcus, a region showing aberrant functioning during social perception in schizophrenia.
Location
Logan, UT
Start Date
4-11-2023 1:30 PM
End Date
4-11-2023 2:30 PM
Oxytocin Receptor Binding in the Substantia Nigra in Schizophrenia
Logan, UT
Schizophrenia is a chronic, psychiatric disorder characterized by hallucinations, delusions, cognitive deficits, and social cognitive impairments. Although antipsychotic drugs are typically effective in treating psychotic symptoms in schizophrenia, the social cognitive symptoms often persist. As social cognitive functioning is predictive of successful life outcomes in schizophrenia, there is a critical need to determine the biological basis of social cognitive impairments. Due to its ability to affect social behaviors in animals and humans, the oxytocin (OXT) system has become a therapeutic target of interest for schizophrenia. Although several studies examine the OXT system in schizophrenia in the periphery, it is currently unclear whether there is dysfunction of central OXT in schizophrenia. Using receptor autoradiography and postmortem specimens from the NIH NeuroBioBank, we examined oxytocin receptor (OXTR) binding in the substantia nigra between individuals who had schizophrenia (n=16) and unaffected controls (n=16). The Freeman Lab has identified the substantia nigra as a region of interest in the human brain, due to its high levels of OXTR. No differences in OXTR binding were observed between individuals who had schizophrenia and controls. We also observed no effects of sex on OXTR binding in the substantia nigra. We found a trend toward decreases in OXTR binding with advanced age in the schizophrenia group, a finding that was not observed in unaffected controls. Our findings suggest that OXTR functioning is preserved in the substantia nigra in schizophrenia. However, it is unclear whether variation in OXTR binding in SZ in the substantia nigra is masked by effects of antipsychotic medication on OXTR. In future work, we will determine whether OXTR binding varies with antipsychotic medication dosage and examine OXTR binding in the hypothalamus (oxytocin synthesis) and superior temporal sulcus, a region showing aberrant functioning during social perception in schizophrenia.