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Oxytocin

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·March 3, 2020·3 min read

Optimizing use of oxytocin to help those with social difficulties

Administering oxytocin via intravenous and nasal methods reduces regional blood flow to the amygdala.

This shows two people looking at one another

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·March 3, 2020·3 min read

The neural processes behind our desire for revenge

During a conflict between two groups, oxytocin levels increase, influencing the medial prefrontal cortex. This results in a greater feeling of empathy among the group and a desire to seek revenge on rivals. The findings shed light on how conflict contagion can occur in social groups.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·February 13, 2020·6 min read

Love: is it just a fleeting high fueled by brain chemicals?

Study looks at the psychology and neurobiology of attraction and love.

This shows the chemical structure of oxytocin

Autism Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·January 21, 2020·4 min read

‘Love hormone’ oxytocin improves attachment issues in people with autism

Male patients on the autism spectrum who were given oxytocin for four weeks experienced improvements in social attachment behaviors for up to 12 months.

This shows a brain and a bottle of cooking oil.

Featured Neuroscience

·January 17, 2020·6 min read

America’s most widely consumed cooking oil causes genetic changes in the brain

Soybean oil, the most consumed cooking oil in the US, has been linked to neurological and metabolic alterations in mice. Soybean oil-fed mice showed decreased levels of oxytocin in the hypothalamus.

Featured Neuroscience

·January 15, 2020·5 min read

Surprising effects of oxytocin on cocaine addiction

In men with a history of childhood trauma, oxytocin reduced the activity within the amygdala and cravings for cocaine. Women who were addicted to cocaine and had experienced childhood trauma showed an increase in amygdala activity following exposure to oxytocin.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·October 17, 2019·3 min read

Mothers’ behavior influences bonding hormone oxytocin in babies

Greater maternal involvement upregulates the oxytocin system in their babies.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·September 30, 2019·6 min read

Fish fathers exhibit signatures of ‘baby brain’ that may facilitate parental care behavior

Genomic analysis reveals some of the neurogenomic dynamics closely resemble changes associated with pregnancy and reproduction in mammalian mothers.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·September 23, 2019·5 min read

Hormone potentially linked to hypersexual disorder identified

Study implicates dysregulation of epigenetic mechanisms of both DNA methylation and microRNA activity, in addition to oxytocin to hypersexuality.

This shows a woman looking at different faces

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·August 8, 2019·2 min read

The neurochemistry of social perception

Researchers examined the effects oxytocin and vasopressin had on perceptions of social dominance. Oxytocin increased perception of greater dominance. Neuroimaging revealed the findings were also reflected in changes in brain regions associated with social perception.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·July 31, 2019·4 min read

‘Love hormone’ has stomach-turning effect in starfish

Oxytocin, a hormone commonly associated with love and bonding in humans, causes starfish to turn their stomachs inside-out to feed. The findings provide vital new evidence for the evolutionary role of oxytocin and vasopressin neuropeptides as regulators of feeding in animals.

This shows the difference in oxytocin neurons between male and female mice

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·July 25, 2019·4 min read

Scientists find clue to ‘maternal instinct’

Researchers identify a group of neurons that are activated by oxytocin in an area of the female brain, but which are not present in the same area of a male mouse brain. Altered expression of these neurons may result in postpartum depression.