Oxytocin differentially modulates specific dorsal and ventral striatal functional connections with frontal and cerebellar regions

Interactions between oxytocin and the basal ganglia are central in current overarching conceptualizations of its broad modulatory effects on behavior. Whereas evidence from animal models emphasizes the critical role of the ventral striatum in the behavioral effects of oxytocin, region-specific contributions of the basal ganglia have not been systematically explored in humans.

In this study we investigated the functional connectivity changes of basal ganglia sub-regions after oxytocin administration in a sample of 144 health males. We found that oxytocin specifically increased connectivity between ventral striatal and pallidal nodes with up-stream frontal regions, whereas it decreased the strengths of downstream pathways between the dorsal striatum and posterior cerebellum. These pathways have previously been implicated in salience, reward and behavioral flexibility, thus shaping goal-directed behavior. Given the importance of aberrant striatal intrinsic organization in autism, addiction and schizophrenia the present findings may suggest new mechanistic perspectives for the therapeutic potential of oxytocin in these disorders.

Zhiying Zhao, Xiaole Ma, Yayuan Geng, Weihua Zhao,Feng Zhou, Jiaojian Wang, Sebastian Markett,Bharat B. Biswal, Yina Ma, Keith M. Kendrick, Benjamin Becker. Oxytocin differentially modulates specific dorsal and ventral striatal functional connections with frontal and cerebellar regions. NeuroImage. Doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.09067