Oxytocin facilitates the sensation of social stress

Oxytocin facilitates the sensation of social stress




Essentially all social species experience social stress which

 can be a catalyst for detriments in mental and physical 

health. The neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) has been shown to

produce anxiolytic and antistress effects, thereby qualifying 

the OXT system as a promising drug target in the treatment

 of stress-related disorders. However, recently it has been

 shown that OXT can have anxiogenic effects as well.

1. Monika Eckstein
2.  et al
 used functional magnetic resonance to reach the above concusion.

 Hum Brain Mapp, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.