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'Love Hormone' Boosts Memories of Mom -- Good or Bad, Study Finds
Posted 30 Nov 2010 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Nov. 29 – A study involving men and their mothers suggests a new function for the "love hormone" oxytocin in human behavior. Grown men who inhaled a synthetic form of oxytocin, a naturally occurring chemical, recalled intensified fond memories of their mothers if, indeed, Mom was all that caring. But if men initially reported less close relationships with Mom, oxytocin seemed to encourage them to dwell on the negative. These findings, published online Nov. 29 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, appear to contradict public perception about oxytocin's beneficial effects, the researchers say. "There's a popular idea that oxytocin has these ubiquitous positive effects on social interactions, but this suggests that it depends on the person to whom it's given and the context in which it's given," said study lead author Jennifer Bartz. "It's not this ... Read more
Related support groups: Oxytocin, Pitocin, Syntocinon
Oxytocin Increases Trust, Not Gullibility
Posted 29 Aug 2010 by Drugs.com
SATURDAY, Aug. 28 – While the hormone oxytocin makes people more trusting, it doesn't make them more gullible, a new study shows. Oxytocin – a naturally occurring hormone that functions as a neurotransmitter in the brain – plays an important role in social behavior. Increased levels of the hormone have been linked with better maternal-infant bonding and greater overall caring, generosity and trust, but it hasn't been known whether this heightened trust was selective. In this Belgian study, participants received either a placebo nasal spray or an oxytocin nasal spray, and were then asked to play a trust game in which they received a certain amount of money they could share with a partner. Any money they shared with the partner would then triple, but the catch was that the partner then got to decide what to do the money – he or she could either keep it all or split the amount with the ... Read more
Related support groups: Oxytocin, Pitocin, Syntocinon
Injections Aren't Solution for Retained Placenta: Study
Posted 8 Dec 2009 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, Dec. 8 – Injections of oxytocin into the umbilical vein don't decrease the need for manual removal in women with a retained placenta after giving birth, according to a new study. Retained placenta occurs in 0.1 to 2 percent of deliveries, with higher rates in wealthier nations. Without prompt treatment, women with a retained placenta are at high risk of hemorrhage. Currently, treatment involves manual removal of the placenta, which requires an operating room, a surgeon and an anesthetist. But a lack of these resources means that the death rate for retained placenta is nearly 10 percent in rural communities, according to background information in the study. An effective, cheap and simple treatment is needed. Some had thought that injecting the hormone oxytocin into the umbilical vein could fill this need, the study authors said. This study included 577 women in Pakistan, Uganda ... Read more
Related support groups: Oxytocin, Pitocin, Syntocinon
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