The idea has resulted from a review of worldwide research into oxytocin, which is known as the “love hormone” because of its important role in enhancing social interactions, maternal behaviour and partnership.
Dr Femke Buisman-Pijlman of the University of Adelaide’s School of Medical Sciences, who guest-edited a special edition of
Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior on the current state of research linking oxytocin and addiction, says that some people’s lack of resilience to addictive behaviours may be linked to poor development of their oxytocin systems.
“We know that newborn babies already have levels of oxytocin in their bodies, and this helps to create the all-important bond between a mother and her child. But our oxytocin systems aren’t fully developed when we’re born – they don’t finish developing until the age of three, which means our systems are potentially subject to a range of influences, both external and internal,” Buisman-Pijlman says.
She says the oxytocin system develops mainly based on experiences. “The main factors that affect our oxytocin systems are genetics, gender and environment. You can’t change the genes you’re born with, but environmental factors play a substantial role in the development of the oxytocin system until our systems are fully developed,” Buisman-Pijlman says.
“Previous research has shown that...
