The dark side of the 'love hormone'; research points to striking similarities with the effects of alcohol

Birmingham: Researchers at the University of Birmingham have highlighted significant similarities between the behavioural effects of oxytocin and alcohol. The research, published today in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, draws on existing studies into the two compounds and details the similarities between the effects of alcohol  and the ‘love hormone’, oxytocin, on our actions. The team warn that the oft-used nickname hides the darker side of oxytocin, and claim that it bears more semblances with the effects of alcohol than previously thought.

How oxytocin signals regulate behavior

DKFZ:  The neuropeptide oxytocin impacts the nervous system and, thus, regulates human behavior. All life forms adjust their behavior to environmental conditions. This adjustment is regulated by chemical substances called neuromodulators, which impact the way the nervous system works. One of the best known neuromodulators is oxytocin, a neuropeptide that positively influences human social behavior. Oxytocin is produced by specific neurons of hypothalamus that exhibit projections that reach deep into the forebrain and regulate a large variety of behaviors – from aggression to empathy.