Oxytocin: defeating dependency

A new rat model study has highlighted the therapeutic potential of oxytocin for alcohol dependence treatment. Oxytocin, the hormone that regulates stress and reward functions in mammals, has previously been theorized to bear addiction inhibiting and withdrawal soothing effects for several drugs of abuse.  However, before this neuropeptide can be translated into a therapeutic for alcohol dependence treatment, it’s mechanism of action for these effects needs to be better understood. In order to examine oxytocin’s role in the limitation of alcohol dependency, a team of researchers from the NIH (MD, USA) led by Brendan Tunstall conducted a series of experiments...