Oxytocin Current Research

This volume collects cutting-edge expert reviews in the oxytocin field and will be of interest to a broad scientific audience ranging from social neuroscience to clinical psychiatry. The role of the neuropeptide oxytocin in social behaviors is one of the earliest and most significant discoveries in social neuroscience. Influential studies in animal models have delineated many of the neural circuits and genetic components that underlie these behaviors. These discoveries have inspired researchers to investigate the effects of oxytocin on brain and behavior in humans and its potential relevance as a treatment for psychiatric disorders including borderline personality disorder and autism and schizophrenia spectrum disorders. In fact, there is no established social psychopharmacology in Psychiatry, and oxytocin can be seen as the first endogenous agent specifically addressing social-cognitive impairment in psychiatric disorders, with animal research suggesting that it could be especially efficient in the early postnatal period. From a human perspective, it is crucial to understand more precisely who can benefit from potential oxytocin-related treatments, which outcome measures will best represent their effects, how they should be administered, and what brain mechanisms are likely involved in mediating their effects. This type of “precision medicine” approach is in line with the research domain criteria defined by the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health.

Advances in Oxytocin Research documents the proceedings of a symposium held by the Blair-Bell Research Society at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, London, England, on 1st May 1964. Oxytocin was chosen as the subject of the symposium due to recent important work on its physiology and pharmacology, and the availability of a new method of administering the drug for the induction of labor in women after extensive study in America, Europe, and Great Britain. The volume contains papers presented by during the two sessions held during the symposium. The first session on the physiology and pharmacology of oxytocin includes studies on the circulatory effects of oxytocin, release of oxytocin during parturition, and the release of oxytocin in domestic animals. The second session on clinical applications includes papers on the endocrine control of labour, clinical trials of buccal oxytocin, and tge oxytocin sensitivity test. Also included are the opening remarks by Sir Arthur Bell, President of the Blair-Bell Society and the Chairman’s Introduction at the beginning of each session.

The articles comprising this volume were first presented at the World Congress on Neurohypophysial Hormones held in Bordeaux, France on September 8-12, 2001. This conference brought together more than 170 scientists from 18 countries who belong to the different fields of interest representing research in the hypothalamo-neurohypophysial system. Two neurohypophysial neurohormones, oxytocin and vasopressin, exert a variety of central and peripheral actions and thus involve different scientific domains, which too often, even today, do not always find the appropriate occasion to interact. This volume is composed of chapters dealing with topics varying from basic and clinical neurosciences and neuroendocrinology, to reproductive, renal, cardiovascular physiology and pathology. It encompasses all areas of current neurohypophysial research and should be of vital interest as an integrative reference volume to specialized investigators and as an excellent introductory text to students, scientists and clinicians not yet closely familiar with the field. To ensure novelty and to make sure that all topics of current importance were covered, plenary and symposium speakers as well as poster presentations concentrated on recent advances made in the last few years.