SPECIAL SESSIONS
344
fri, 28 nov 2014
09.00 – 10.00 h
|
Hall A6
E
U
D
The chemistry of love and bonding: implications
for new treatments for autism
Chairs:
Frank Schneider, Aachen (Germany)
Thomas E. Schläpfer, Bonn (Germany)
Speaker:
Larry J. Young, Atlanta (USA)
Social relationships contribute to both mental and physical wellbeing, and early social expe-
riences can influence in the quality of relationships throughout the life span. Studies in mo-
nogamous prairie voles have provided insights into the neural mechanisms of the formation
and maintenance of social bonds, as well as to the consequences of social loss. Oxytocin
and vasopressin play important roles in several aspects of social cognition and behavior in
animal models, including social recognition, parental nurturing and social bonding. Studies
in mice suggest that these neuropeptides increase the salience of social stimuli, enhancing
the neural processing of social cues. Species differences in receptor expression in brain
reward regions are associated with species differences in social bonding. In prairie voles,
oxytocin and vasopressin act in reward regions during pair bonding to link the neural enco-
ding of the social signature of the partner with the rewarding aspects of mating. We have
identified genetic polymorphisms that predict neuropeptide receptor expression in the
brain, which in turn predict social behavior, including susceptibility to the impact of early
social stressors on adult social attachment. Loss of a bonded partner results in activation
of the stress axis and the development of depressive-like ”grieving“ behavior mediated by
corticotropin releasing factor (CRF), which suppresses oxytocin secretion. Infusion of either
a CRFR2 antagonist or oxytocin into the striatum prevents social loss-induced depression.
There are remarkable parallels between these studies of bonding in voles and recent studies
on human romantic love, suggesting that the chemistry of love is conserved from rodent
to man. In humans, oxytocin enhances gaze into the eyes of others, the ability to infer the
emotions of others from facial cues, and socially reinforced learning. These results suggest
that the oxytocin system may be a viable target for drugs to improve social functioning in
autism.
LECTURES
