Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA.
Harv Rev Psychiatry. 2010 Jan-Feb;18(1):1-21. doi: 10.3109/10673220903523615.
Oxytocin is a neuropeptide involved in a wide variety of social behaviors in diverse species. Recent research on its effects in humans has generated an arresting picture of its role in the dynamic function of the social brain. This review presents a broad overview of this uniquely social peptide, with a particular focus on extant studies of its effects in humans. After a short discussion of the evolutionary history of the oxytocin system, critical aspects of its peripheral and central physiology, and several salient technical issues surrounding human oxytocin research, a systematic review of studies of the effects of intranasal oxytocin in humans is presented. These effects include alterations in social decision making, processing of social stimuli, certain uniquely social behaviors (e.g., eye contact), and social memory. Oxytocin's prosocial influence is then framed by an evolutionary perspective on its role in mammalian social bonding and attachment. Finally, limitations in current human oxytocin research and oxytocin's potential therapeutic applications are discussed. Key conclusions are (1) human research with intranasal oxytocin has uniquely enhanced our understanding of the microstructure and function of the human social brain, and (2) the oxytocin system is a promising target for therapeutic interventions in a variety of conditions, especially those characterized by anxiety and aberrations in social function.
催产素是一种参与多种社会行为的神经肽，在不同物种中都有广泛的应用。最近对其在人类中的作用的研究描绘了一幅引人注目的画面，揭示了它在社会大脑动态功能中的作用。本综述广泛介绍了这种独特的社交肽，特别关注其在人类中的现有研究。在简短讨论了催产素系统的进化历史、其外周和中枢生理学的关键方面以及围绕人类催产素研究的几个突出技术问题之后，本文系统地回顾了鼻内催产素对人类的影响。这些影响包括改变社会决策、处理社会刺激、某些独特的社会行为（例如眼神接触）和社会记忆。然后，从催产素在哺乳动物社交联系和依恋中的作用的进化角度来阐述其亲社会影响。最后，讨论了当前人类催产素研究的局限性和催产素的潜在治疗应用。关键结论是：（1）鼻内催产素的人类研究独特地增强了我们对人类社会大脑微观结构和功能的理解；（2）催产素系统是治疗多种疾病的有前途的靶点，尤其是那些以焦虑和社会功能障碍为特征的疾病。
