researchers are currently experimenting to determine whether a hormone
triggered by physical contact could help patients with schizophrenia, social
anxiety and other disorders.
Oxytocin, a brain chemical released during hugging and other
physical contact, plays a major role in parent-infant and male-female bonds,
UCSD assistant clinical professor of psychiatry Kai MacDonald said. Research
suggests that the chemical alters the firing of the amygdala — the part of the
brain that processes emotional stimuli — resulting in changes in the brain
signals that enable recognition of facial expressions.
MacDonald said that oxytocin may play a critical role in
human social behavior.
“Oxytocin is sometimes called the ‘love hormone,’” he said.
“We know that the eye-to-eye communication — which is affected by oxytocin —is
critical to intimate emotional communication for all kinds of emotions — love,
fear, trust, anxiety.” He added that individuals with schizophrenia or autism
often struggle with social contact because they avoid eye contact and focus on
less relevant parts of the face.
Also known as Pitocin, the hormone has long been used to
induce labor and lactation in women; however, research regarding its effects on
the brain has been limited. UCSD researchers believe that oxytocin could
increase levels of trust, generosity and emotional contact for patients with
schizophrenia or anxiety.
The hormone reduces the activity of brain circuits related
to fear and increases the patient’s level of eye contact, and MacDonald said
that although people seem to act differently, they historically have not
reported feeling different at all. He said it is clear that the “love hormone”
affects brain activity, but that researchers have yet to confirm the chemical’s
effects on human interactions.
“A hug or a touch that causes a release of this hormone
might change brain signals,” MacDonald said. “We want to know if oxytocin can
also impact social and emotional behavior in patients with psychiatric
disorders.”