Posted by Michael Bell on August 18, 2007, at 18:28:12
According to the below summary, Oxytocin has profound effects on social fear and interaction:
EFFECTS OF OXYTOCIN ON SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR AND ANXIETY IN HUMANS
Heinrichs M.1, 2
1Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Zurich. 2Research Priority Program “Foundations of Human Social Behavior”, University of Zurich.Evidence for the key role of oxytocin in prosocial behavior, affiliation, stress, and anxiety has come primarily from studies in animals. Neuropeptides have been shown to cross the blood-brain barrier after intranasal administration, with initial studies reporting direct effects on human behavior. We were recently able to show that oxytocin improves trust and the protective effects of social interaction on neuroendocrine responses to social stress. This talk will present new results regarding the effects of intranasal oxytocin (i) on the ability to infer the internal state of another person, referred to as “mind-reading”, (ii) on amygdala responses to social cues, and (iii) on social fear in patients with social phobia. In particular, we found that oxytocin improves mind-reading in healthy men and attenuates amygdala responses to social cues in general, irrespective of the stimuli valence. In addition, intranasal oxytocin enhances the ability to socially interact in patients with social phobia, thereby reducing anxiety and physical arousal in a socially phobic situation. These findings may have clinical implications for the development of new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of disorders that are associated with deficits in social interactions (autism, social phobia). Supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF PP001-114788) and the Research Priority Program “Foundations of Human Social Behavior” of the University of Zurich.
Question is, since oxycontin lasts mere minutes in spray form, how does one increase their oxytocin levels for prolonged periods of time?
poster:Michael Bell
thread:776993
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070815/msgs/776993.html