Hormones and Behavior; Volume 61, Issue 3, Pages 227-462 (March 2012)
Breaking the loop: Oxytocin as a potential treatment for drug addictionIain S. McGregor, Michael T. Bowen
School of Psychology, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
Very recent preclinical studies have illustrated a remarkable ability of exogenously delivered oxytocin to inhibit stimulant and alcohol self-administration, to alter associated drug-induced changes in dopamine, glutamate and Fos expression in cortical and basal ganglia sites, and to prevent stress and priming-induced relapse to drug seeking. Oxytocin therefore has fascinating potential to reverse the corrosive effects of long-term drugs abuse on social behavior and to perhaps inoculate against future vulnerability to addictive disorders. The results of clinical studies examining intranasal oxytocin effects in humans with drug use disorders are eagerly awaited. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Oxytocin, Vasopressin, and Social Behavior.