Serum oxytocin correlated with later logical memory in older Japanese women: A 7-year follow-up study

Yutaka Kunitake; Yoshito Mizoguchi; Yoshiomi Imamura; Hiroko Kunitake; Ryuzo Orihashi; Jun Matsushima; Hiroshi Tateishi; Toru Murakawa-Hirachi; Shigeto Yamada; Akira Monji

doi:10.1016/j.cpnec.2022.100166

Serum oxytocin correlated with later logical memory in older Japanese women: A 7-year follow-up study

Compr Psychoneuroendocrinol. 2022 Dec 28:13:100166. doi: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2022.100166. eCollection 2023 Feb.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, Saga, Japan.
² Institute of Comparative Studies of International Cultures and Societies, Kurume University, Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan.
³ School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Yufu, Oita, Japan.
⁴ St Lucia's Hospital, Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan.
⁵ Wakahisa Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan.

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the longitudinal relationship between serum oxytocin and logical memory among older adults in rural Japan and clarify sex differences in this relationship.

Measurements: The first survey was conducted from October 2009 to March 2011 (Time 1) and the second from November 2016 to September 2017 (Time 2). The final analysis for Time 1 included 385 participants (median age 75 years, interquartile range [IQR] 70-81 years) and that for Time 2 included 76 participants (median age 80 years, IQR 76-83 years). We assessed cognition, logical memory, and living conditions, and measured serum oxytocin levels. Logical memory was evaluated using the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised Logical Memory II delayed recall part A (LM II-DR). Serum oxytocin was measured using the enzyme immunoassay method.

Results: The median (IQR) oxytocin level among men (n = 20) was 34 (16-78) pg/mL at Time 1 and 53 (28-140) pg/mL at Time 2. The median (IQR) oxytocin level among women (n = 56) was 117 (35-412) pg/mL at Time 1 and 76 (32-145) pg/mL at Time 2. The median oxytocin level among women at Time 2 was significantly lower than that at Time 1 (p = 0.004). The multivariate analysis showed that for women, LM II-DR score at Time 2 was positively associated with oxytocin level at Time 1 (p = 0.042) and negatively associated with age (p = 0.02).

Conclusions: Our study suggests that maintaining high oxytocin levels in older women may prevent age-related decline in logical memory.

Keywords: Japan; Logical memory; Longitudinal study; Older; Oxytocin; Sex differences.