Oxytocin and Resilience Oxytocin The Love Hormone Trust

Oxytocin and Resilience

Oxytocin �The ◦ ◦ ◦ “Love Hormone” Trust Positive feelings Anxiolytic Sex and pair bonding Empathy �Produced: Hypothalamus �Released: Posterior Pituitary �Gq – PLC/IP 3 pathway

Traumatic

Depression R=-0. 58 R 2=0. 33 P=0. 003 Anxiety R=-0. 61 R 2=0. 37 P=0. 005 Scantamburlo 07

�Oxytocin agonist �Used in humans �Less locomotion when given i. p. ? Chaviaras 10

Stress HPA axis Cortisol

Stress Hypothalamus Pituitary Cortisol Adrenal

HPA axis Cortisol

Different Polymorphisms Chen 2011 ◦ Rs 53576 GG GA AA Thompson 2011 ◦ Rs 2254298 GG GA

Thompson 11 Mother with depression? Rs 2254298? Hi / Low adversity + / - polymorphisim Environment x Genetics

Thompson 11

Receptor Polymorphism �Rs 53576 ◦ Adenosine (A) instead of a Guanine (G) ◦ Opposite effect of adding Oxytocin ◦ Non-coding intron mutation! �“the genetic variant investigated in this study in likely a marker for still-unidentified functional variants of the gene”

Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium % Chen 11

Meanwhile in Germany… Social Support N = 203 NO Social Support Chen 11

Trier Social Stress for Groups Chen 11

* Chen 11

Chen 11

Take home �Oxytocin has antidepressant/anxiolytic action ◦ Promotes resilience �Responsible for positive effects of social support �Receptor polymorphisms appear to confer a loss of function