The Impact Of Hormones On The Memories Of Mother

The Impact Of Hormones On The Memories Of Mother.
A scrutiny involving men and their mothers suggests a uncharted function for the "love hormone" oxytocin in mortal behavior. Grown men who inhaled a synthetic form of oxytocin, a not unexpectedly occurring chemical, recalled intensified fond memories of their mothers if, indeed, Mom was all that caring. But if men initially reported less close-fisted relationships with Mom, oxytocin seemed to boost them to dwell on the negative.

These findings, published online Nov 29, 2010 in the fortnightly Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, appear to contradict public perception about oxytocin's beneficial effects, the researchers say. "There's a trendy idea that oxytocin has these ubiquitous positive effects on community interactions, but this suggests that it depends on the person to whom it's given and the context in which it's given," said think over lead author Jennifer Bartz. "It's not this universal attachment panacea".

Oxytocin, which is produced in over-abundance when a mother breast-feeds her baby, is known as the "bonding" hormone and may actually have therapeutic applications. One muse about found that people with high-functioning autism or Asperger's syndrome were better able to "catch" social cues after inhaling the hormone. Oxytocin has also been linked to trust, empathy and generosity, but may also atom the less attractive qualities of jealousy and gloating.

By fostering attachment, oxytocin is considered essential to survival of an individual, and also to survival of the species. "It's what allows the infant to persist to maturity and to reproduce by ensuring the caregiver stays fusty to the infant and provides nurturance and support to an otherwise defenseless infant," explained Bartz, assistant professor of psychiatry at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City.