Work

Opportunities and challenges for intranasal oxytocin treatment studies in nonhuman primates

Year: 2018

Type: article

Abstract: Nonhuman primates provide a human-relevant experimental model system to explore the mechanisms by which oxytocin (OT) regulates social processing and inform its clinical applications. Here, we highlight contributions of the nonhuman primate model to our understanding of OT treatment and address unique challenges in administering OT to awake behaving primates. Prior preclinical research utilizing macaque monkeys has demonstrated that OT can modulate perception of other individuals and their expressions, attention to others, imitation, vigilance to social threats, and prosocial decisions. We further describe ongoing efforts to develop an OT delivery system for use in experimentally naïve juvenile macaque monkeys compatible with naturalistic social behavior outcomes. Finally, we discuss future directions to further develop the rhesus monkey as a preclinical test bed to evaluate the effects of OT exposure and advance efforts to translate basic science OT research into safe and effective OT therapies.

Source: American Journal of Primatology

DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22913

Authors: Melissa D. Bauman, Takeshi Murai, Casey E. Hogrefe, Michael L. Platt

Institutions: University of California, Davis, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma (Japan), University of Pennsylvania

Language: English

Topic: Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior

Subfield: Social Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development