SAN DIEGO — New human research suggests the chemical oxytocin — dubbed the "cuddle hormone" because of its importance in bonding between romantic partners and mothers and children — also influences feelings of well-being and sensitivity to advertising. Additional animal research shows that oxytocin may relieve stress and anxiety in social settings and may be more rewarding than cocaine to new mothers. The findings were presented at Neuroscience 2010, the Society for Neuroscience's annual meeting and the world's largest source of emerging news about brain science and health.
Oxytocin is best known for its vital role in childbirth and breastfeeding, and animal studies have shown that it is also important in monogamous social relationships. Recently, economic research in humans implicated oxytocin in trust and empathy.
Today's new findings show that:
Other recent findings discussed show that:
"Converging evidence from different research studies indicates oxytocin and other hormones have a profound influence on value judgments, shaping emotions and behaviors in humans and other animals," said press conference moderator Margaret M. McCarthy, PhD, from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, an expert on the effects of hormones on the developing brain.
This research was supported by national funding agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health, as well as private and philanthropic organizations.