Neural and Molecular Contributions to Pathological Jealousy and a Potential Therapeutic Role for Intranasal Oxytocin.

Xiaoxiao Zheng,Keith M Kendrick

doi:10.3389/fphar.2021.652473

Xiaoxiao Zheng, Keith M Kendrick

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2021.652473

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Abstract

Romantic jealousy, especially in its pathological form, is a significant contributor to both domestic abuse, including partner sexual coercion and even murder, although relatively little research has been conducted on it. Both obsessive and delusional forms have been identified although only the latter is currently recognized as a pathological disorder. Studies in both clinical and healthy populations have identified altered fronto-striatal responsivity as being associated primarily with romantic jealousy and to date drug based treatments have targeted both dopaminergic and serotonergic systems. However, there is increasing interest in a potential role for the neuropeptide oxytocin, which can also modulate dopaminergic and serotonin systems in the brain and has been shown to altered in other psychotic conditions, such as schizophrenia and obsessive compulsive disorder. Recent studies in healthy populations have reported that when oxytocin is administered intranasally it can influence the brain to promote strengthening of romantic bonds and reduce romantic jealousy in both men and women evoked in either imagined or real contexts. These findings indicate a possible therapeutic use of intranasal oxytocin administration in pathological jealousy.

Highlights

Jealousy has been defined as “a perception of threat of loss of a valued relationship to a real or imagined rival which includes affective, cognitive and behavioral components” (Mullen, 1991)
The current review aims to summarize our current understanding of the different forms of pathological romantic jealousy and its neural and neurochemical control and focusses on the potential for intranasal administration of the neuropeptide oxytocin for reducing it through its actions on strengthening and maintaining romantic bonds and interactions with dopamine and serotonin
A small number of neuroimaging and neuropathology studies in humans, have demonstrated that pathological jealousy is associated with altered fronto-striatal circuitry, the ventral medial prefrontal cortex, thalamus, insula and amygdala. These circuits are involved in the control of a range of behaviors including reward and emotion processing, impulsivity, mentalizing/self-related processing and interoception/salience processing and, most notably, dopaminergic and serotoninergic signaling

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Jealousy has been defined as “a perception of threat of loss of a valued relationship to a real or imagined rival which includes affective, cognitive and behavioral components” (Mullen, 1991). Romantic jealousy generally requires social interactive contexts involving relationship triangles and there are some sex differences with females across cultures more concerned by emotional infidelity but males by sexual infidelity (see Buss et al, 1992; Sagarin et al, 2012; Buss, 2018) in line with the general evolutionary concept of men being more concerned with ensuring their paternity and women with maintaining a stable relationship with a partner to assist in caring for their offspring. This sex difference can even be observed in cases of pathological jealousy with female patients more focused on their partner’s emotional infidelity whereas male patients are more focused on their sexual infidelity (Easton et al, 2007)

Neural Substrates of Pathological and Trait Romantic Jealousy

Current Drug Treatments

Possible Role for Intranasal Oxytocin in Treating Romantic Jealousy

Findings

CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS