Do oxytocin and vasopressin represent biomarkers of social sensitivity and relationship functioning?
The SCN Lab is currently investigating whether circulating levels of oxytocin and/or vasopressin may represent biomarkers of social sensitivity and general relationship functioning.
Dr. Tabak has also conducted several studies examining associations of genetic variants in the oxytocin system (OXTR, CD38) and social processes. In addition, Dr. Tabak has a long history of collaboration with colleagues from the University of Miami that has focused on measurement practices in human oxytocin research.
In a recently completed study, participants came to the lab to perform a social task and have their blood sampled on several occasions to measure changes in plasma oxytocin and vasopressin. Participants also complete a two week daily diary in which they responded to questions about positive and negative interpersonal events that occurred in the past day. We will be examining the association between lab-based changes in oxytocin and vasopressin and prospective interpersonal functioning in daily life.
In this talk at the Society for Affective Neuroscience conference, Dr. Tabak discusses some of the complexities involved in conducting work using intranasal administration of oxytocin, as well as measurement issues in human oxytocin research.
Publications involving endogenous oxytocin, vasopressin, and genetic associations
Tabak, B. A., Leng, G. Szeto, A., Parker, K. J., Verbalis, J. G., Ziegler, T. E., Lee, M. R., Neumann, I. D., & Mendez, A. J. (2023). Advances in human oxytocin measurement: challenges and proposed solutions. Molecular Psychiatry, 28, 127-140.
Sunahara, C. S., Wilson, S. J., Rosenfield, D., Alvi, T., Szeto, A., Mendez, A. J., & Tabak, B. A. (2022). Oxytocin reactivity to a lab-based stressor predicts support seeking after stress in daily life: implications for the Tend-and-Befriend theory. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 145, 105897.
Tabak, B. A., Rosenfield, D., Sunahara, C. S., Alvi, T., Szeto, A., & Mendez, A. J. (2022). Social anxiety is associated with greater peripheral oxytocin reactivity to psychosocial stress. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 140, 105712.
Tabak, B. A., Young, K. S., Torre, J. B., Way, B. M., Burklund, L. J., Eisenberger, N. I., Lieberman, M. D., & Craske, M. G. (2020). Preliminary evidence that CD38 moderates the association of neuroticism on amygdala-subgenual cingulate connectivity. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 14, 11.
Tabak, B. A., Teed, A. R., Castle, E., Dutcher, J. M., Meyer, M. L., Bryan, R., Irwin, M. R., Lieberman, M.D., & Eisenberger, N. I. (2019). Null results of oxytocin and vasopressin administration across a range of social cognitive and behavioral paradigms: Evidence from a randomized controlled trial. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 107, 124-132.
Tabak, B. A., Vrshek-Schallhorn, S., Zinbarg, R. E., Prenoveau, J. M., Mineka, S., Redei, E. E., Adam, E. K., & Craske, M. G. (2016). Interaction of CD38 variant and chronic interpersonal stress prospectively predicts social anxiety and depression symptoms over six years. Clinical Psychological Science, 4, 17-27.
Tabak, B. A., McCullough, M. E., Carver, C. S., Pedersen, E. J., & Cuccaro, M. L. (2014). Variation in oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) polymorphisms is associated with emotional and behavioral reactions to betrayal. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 9, 810-816.
Tabak, B. A. (2013). Oxytocin and social salience: a call for gene-environment interaction research. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 7, 199.
Tabak, B. A., McCullough, M. E., Szeto, A., Mendez, A. J., & McCabe, P. M. (2011). Oxytocin indexes relational distress following interpersonal harms in women. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 36, 115-122.
Szeto, A., McCabe, P. M., Nation, D. A., Tabak, B. A., Rossetti, M. A., McCullough, M. E., Schneiderman, N., & Mendez, A. J. (2011). Evaluation of enzyme immunoassay and radioimmunoassay methods for the measurement of plasma oxytocin. Psychosomatic Medicine, 73, 393-400.