Oxitocina are efect anxiolitic, inclusiv prin modularea activității serotoninei (5-

HT) in amigdala si a fost propusă pentru a promova reducerea fricii în terapia

prin expunere, iar în cazul tulburării de stress posttraumatic poate fi utilizată
pentru creșterea importanței recompensei sociale (Nawijn et al., 2016).
Oxytocin is a peptide hormone and neuropeptide that is thought to have a variety of effects
ranging from increasing uterine contractions during labor to influencing social interactions. In this
video, I discuss where in the brain oxytocin is synthesized and the hypothesized effects of
oxytocin. TRANSCRIPT: Welcome to 2 minute neuroscience, where I explain neuroscience topics
in 2 minutes or less. In this installment I will discuss oxytocin. Oxytocin is a peptide hormone and
a neuropeptide, which is a name for a peptide that can also act as a neurotransmitter. Oxytocin is
primarily produced in the hypothalamus and transported through axons to the posterior lobe of
the pituitary gland. From there it can be secreted into the bloodstream of the body. Although there
are a number of effects linked to this peripherally-acting oxytocin, the best understood effects
have to do with childbirth and breastfeeding. Oxytocin is involved with increasing uterine
contractions during labor and with the milk let-down reflex, which causes milk to be released
during breastfeeding. There is also evidence, however, that some oxytocin-containing neurons
project to other areas of the central nervous system including the hippocampus, cerebral cortex,
brainstem, amygdala, and spinal cord. The effects of this centrally-released oxytocin are not as
clearly understood. Some research suggests it is involved with trust, empathy, and social
bonding. These findings have caused some to call oxytocin the trust hormone, the love hormone,
or even the cuddle hormone. Others have argued, however, that oxytocin’s effects on the brain
are not so clear-cut. Some researchers have found oxytocin to be associated with negative
emotions and aggression, and some of the research supporting oxytocin’s function as a love or
trust hormone has been criticized for methodological problems. Other researchers have
hypothesized that oxytocin might be involved in promoting responsiveness to social cues in
general, whether they be positive or negative. Thus, at this point there is no consensus on the
effects of oxytocin’s actions on behavior. It is likely, however, that its effects on behavior are far
more complex than a simple designation like the “love hormone” would suggest.