Abstract #4150

Disadvantage of social sensitivity: Interaction of oxytocin receptor genotype (OXTR rs53576) and childhood maltreatment on limbic gray matter

Harald Kugel¹, Udo Dannlowski^2,3, Dominik Grotegerd², Ronny Redlich², Nils Opel ², Katharina Dohm², Dario Zaremba², Anne Groegler², Juliane Schwieren², Thomas Suslow⁴, Patricia Ohrmann ², Jochen Bauer^1,2, Axel Krug³, Tilo Kircher³, Christa Hohoff², Katharina Domschke⁵, Andreas Jansen³, Pienie Zwitserlood⁶, Markus Heinrichs^7,8, Volker Arolt², Walter Heindel¹, and Bernhard T. Baune⁹

¹Department of Clinical Radiology, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany, ²Department of Psychiatry, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany, ³Department of Psychiatry, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany, ⁴Department of Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany, ⁵Department of Psychiatry, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany, ⁶Department of Psychology, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany, ⁷Department of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany, ⁸Freiburg Brain Imaging Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany, ⁹School of Medicine, Discipline of Psychiatry, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia

Oxytocin is a pro-social and anxiolytic neuropeptide, especially if the G-allele of a common polymorphism (rs53576) in the oxytocin receptor gene is present. Recent studies suggest, however, a detrimental role of this allele in the context of childhood maltreatment. Structural MRI data show reduced gray matter volumes of the ventral striatum, fMRI shows increased amygdala responsiveness associated with increased CTQ (maltreatment) score. Thus for individuals with adverse childhood experiences the G-allele may be a vulnerability factor.

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