Sex-dependent regulation of social reward by oxytocin: an inverted U hypothesis.

ABSTRACT: The rewarding properties of social interactions are essential for the expression of social behavior and the development of adaptive social relationships. Here, we review sex differences in social reward, and more specifically, how oxytocin (OT) acts in the mesolimbic dopamine system (MDS) to mediate the rewarding properties of social interactions in a sex-dependent manner. Evidence from rodents and humans suggests that same-sex social interactions may be more rewarding in females than in males. We propose that there is an inverted U relationship between OT dose, social reward, and neural activity within structures of the MDS in both males and females, and that this dose-response relationship is initiated at lower doses in females than males. As a result, depending on the dose of OT adminis

SUBMITTER: Borland JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6235847 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature