Oxytocin, a hormone which is produced by breast-feeding mothers and by both genders during sexual activity, could eventually be used as an antidepressant, say researchers.
According to Dr. Ziad Nahas, a researcher at the Medical School of South Carolina, when depressed subjects inhaled the hormone, their brain activity began to more closely resemble that of healthy subjects.
Oxytocin has been linked to social bonding and attachment, said Nahas, and acts as a stress reliever. Since depressed individuals feel anxious and socially disconnected, oxytocin might help them feel less depressed.
The next step, which Nahas has already received a research grant for through the Hope for Depression Research Foundation, is to conduct a study in which depressed patients are given oxytocin on a daily basis, similar to the way antidepressants are administered, in order to track their anxiety, stress and mood.
Nahal discussed the study in an October 27, 2010 article appearing in the newspaper The State.
