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Senior Citizens & Sex
'Hormone of Love' Nasal Spray Reduces Stress in
Martial Spats, Makes People Like Each Other
Oxytocin seems to make us like people better, says
studies
June 20, 2006 Don't say you didn't learn
something today from SeniorJournal.com. It is that a nasal spray of
synthetic oxytocin may smooth out the disagreements you have with your
spouse. This has potential life-saving benefits for senior citizens, who
are known to suffer this stress with increased risk of cardiovascular
disease.
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This latest study on oxytocin, which some call the
"hormone of love" was discussed today at the 6th International Congress
of Neuroendocrinology, which gives the research credibility.
To determine if the hormone oxytocin can reduce
stress during tense social interactions or conflict, a team of
investigators studied subjects one would assume have plenty of
first-hand experience: married couples and those in long-term
relationships.
Who more appropriate to evaluate whether the
"hormone of love"can soften the emotional and physical baggage that
comes with "discussing" whose turn it is to take out the trash?
Beate Ditzen, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in the
department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences from Emory University
in Atlanta, and colleagues from the University of Fribourg and the
University of Zurich, conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
involving 50 heterosexual couples who the researchers guided into mock
arguments by choosing with the couple a topic frequently discussed and
unresolved in the relationship.
The couples were then asked to discuss the topic
during a 10-minute period and arguments were video-taped.
Prior to provocation, half the couples received
oxytocin via nasal spray, while the others received a nasal spray
placebo. From saliva samples, the team monitored production of a stress
hormone called cortisol - a steroid hormone secreted by the adrenal
glands that is important in stress reaction. It is also known as
"hydrocortisone."
Standard questionnaires were used to measure
personality traits and document how participants perceived the quality
and social support of their relationships.
The preliminary analyses suggest that cortisol
levels, which normally are elevated under stressful situations, were
significantly lower in the oxytocin-treated couples than in the control
group, providing evidence that oxytocin helps keep stress in check
during conflict.
Being able to curb such stress, which can be
persistent in nature, could have long-term health benefits as well,
suggest the researchers.
The oxytocin hormone is released by the pituitary
gland that stimulates contractions of the womb during childbirth and
triggers the secretion of milk from the breast during nursing.
Oxytocin
is released during orgasm in both sexes. In the brain, oxytocin is
involved in social recognition and bonding, and might be involved in the
formation of trust between people, scientist say.
An earlier study of oxytocin nasal spray found it
makes people more willing to trust strangers even with their money.
Michael Kosfeld at the University of Zurich,
Switzerland, who led that study found that investors gave away their
cash more willingly if they had sniffed oxytocin than if they had
sniffed a placebo. But this extra willingness disappeared when the
investors dealt with a computer rather than a human, which he says
confirmed that the effect of oxytocin was "interpersonal."
Some other interesting findings about oxytocin as
reported by Wikipedia include:
● Sexual arousal. Oxytocin injected into the
cerebrospinal fluid causes spontaneous erections in rats (Gimpl 2001),
reflecting actions in the hypothalamus and spinal cord.
● Bonding. In the Prairie Vole, oxytocin released
into the brain of the female during sexual activity is important for
forming a monogamous pair bond with her sexual partner. Vasopressin
appears to have a similar effect in males. In people, plasma
concentrations of oxytocin have been reported to be higher amongst
people who claim to be falling in love. Oxytocin has a role in social
behaviors in many species, and so it seems likely that it has similar
roles in humans. It has been suggested that deficiencies in oxytocin
pathways in the brain might be a feature of autism.
● Maternal behavior. Sheep and rat females given
oxytocin antagonists after giving birth do not exhibit typical maternal
behavior. By contrast, virgin sheep females show maternal behavior
towards foreign lambs upon cerebrospinal fluid infusion of oxytocin,
which they would not do otherwise.
● Various anti-stress functions. Oxytocin reduces
blood pressure and cortisol levels, increasing tolerance to pain, and
reducing anxiety. Oxytocin may play a role in encouraging "tend and
befriend", as opposed to "fight or flight", behavior, in response to
stress.
● Reducing fear. Nasally-administered oxytocin
has also been reported to reduce fear, possibly by inhibiting the
amygdala (which is thought to be responsible for fear responses).
(Kirsch 2005)
● According to some studies in animals, oxytocin
inhibits the development of tolerance to various addictive drugs
(opiates, cocaine, alcohol) and reduces withdrawal symptoms. (Kovacs
1998)
● Certain learning and memory functions are
impaired by centrally-administered oxytocin. (Gimpl 2001)
Editor's Note: Synthetic oxytocin, only available
by prescription, is sold as medication under the trade names Pitocin and
Syntocinon and also as generic Oxytocin. Oxytocin is destroyed in the
gastrointestinal tract, and therefore must be administered by injection
or as nasal spray. An oxytocin nasal spray (trade names: Syntocinon or
Pitocin nasal spray) is primarily used to stimulate milk production for
breastfeeding.
Links:
>>
Oxytocin on Wikipedia
>>
All about the magic of oxytocin
>>
Trust me, I'm spraying you with hormones - New Scientist.
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