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Correspondence| Volume 72, ISSUE 3, e3-e4, August 01, 2012

Oxytocin and Pair Bonding: On Possible Influences During the Life Course

Published:February 27, 2012DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2012.01.029
Oxytocin and Pair Bonding: On Possible Influences During the Life Course
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      Social integration in general and pair-bond relationships in particular are important predictors of individual health and longevity (
      • Holt-Lunstad J.
      • Smith T.B.
      • Layton J.B.
      Social relationships and mortality risk: a meta-analytic review.
      PLoS Med. 2010; 7: e1000316
      ). It is therefore of the greatest research interest to investigate the underlying neurobiological mechanisms that might mediate the associations of pair-bond relationships and health. Recent research has suggested a prominent role of the neuropeptide oxytocin in this complex relationship and oxytocin is assumed to mediate the effects of couple interaction on stress reduction and individual health in the long term (e.g., [
      • Ditzen B.
      • Schaer M.
      • Bodenmann G.
      • Gabriel B.
      • Ehlert U.
      • Heinrichs M.
      Intranasal oxytocin increases positive communication and reduces cortisol levels during couple conflict.
      Biol Psychiatry. 2009; 65: 728-731
      ], for reviews see [
      • Insel T.R.
      The challenge of translation in social neuroscience: a review of oxytocin, vasopressin, and affiliative behavior.
      Neuron. 2010; 65: 768-779
      ,
      • Ross H.E.
      • Young L.J.
      Oxytocin and the neural mechanisms regulating social cognition and affiliative behavior.
      Front Neuroendocrinol. 2009; 30: 534-547
      ]).
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      Article info

      Publication history

      Published online: February 27, 2012

      Identification

      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2012.01.029

      Copyright

      © 2012 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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