Intranasal oxytocin attenuates attentional bias for eating and fat shape stimuli in patients with anorexia nervosa

• Published in: Psychoneuroendocrinology Vol. 44; pp. 133 - 142
• Main Authors: Kim, Youl-Ri, Kim, Chan-Hyung, Cardi, Valentina, Eom, Jin-Sup, Seong, Yoori, Treasure, Janet
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Administration, Intranasal; Adolescent; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Anorexia nervosa; Anorexia Nervosa - psychology; Attention - drug effects; Attention bias; Behavioral psychophysiology; Biological and medical sciences; Body Image; Dot probe task; Double-Blind Method; Eating behavior disorders; Endocrinology & Metabolism; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hormones and behavior; Humans; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Oxytocin; Oxytocin - administration & dosage; Photic Stimulation; Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Reaction Time; Young Adult; Anorexia nervosa; Oxytocin; Attention bias; Dot probe task; Human; Feeding behavior; Attention; Fat; Eating disorder; Cognitive bias
• ISSN: 0306-4530; 1873-3360; 1873-3360
• DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.02.019

We examined the impact of oxytocin on attentional processes for eating, shape, and weight stimuli in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN). A double-blind, placebo-controlled within-subject crossover design was used. Intranasal oxytocin or placebo followed by a visual probe detection task with food, weight, and shape images was administered to 64 female subjects: 31 patients with AN and 33 control students. The AN group showed significant reductions in the attentional biases toward eating-related stimuli (p=0.030, d=0.516) and toward negative shape stimuli (p=0.015, d=0.498) under the influence of intranasal oxytocin. The effect of oxytocin was correlated with autistic spectrum traits in the AN group. Oxytocin had no effect on the amount of juice consumed in either group. The results of this study suggest that oxytocin attenuates the attentional vigilance to eating and fat shape stimuli in patients with AN. Further studies using oxytocin as a form of intervention for patients with AN are needed.