Oxytocin, a hormone that plays a role in intimacy and social bonding, is being investigated as a treatment for anxiety, depression, and PTSD. But a new study with mice raises important questions about the differing effects the hormone has on men and women.
“Most clinical studies investigating oxytocin as a treatment for depression or anxiety include only males,” says Brian Trainor, an associate professor of psychology at the University of California, Davis. “It’s important to include both men and women in these studies.”
Trainor and colleagues administered doses of oxytocin with a nasal spray to male and female mice. Some of the mice were bullied by an aggressive mouse, an experience that reduces motivation to associate with unfamiliar mice. Consistent with previous studies, oxytocin increased the motivation for social interaction in stressed males.
