Giving the subjects oxytocin makes their memories of the relationship with their mother more intense, the researchers say in an article published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Oxytocin, also known as the happiness hormone, regulates attachment to other animals among animals and influences the formation of associated memories. To see if the effects of this neurotransmitter have a similar effect in humans, researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine (USA) conducted a study among 31 adult men who were given oxytocin or a placebo.
It turned out that in the case of men whose relationships with their mothers were close and gave them a sense of security, the administration of oxytocin made memories of closeness stronger than in the case of men who were given a placebo. In the group of men whose relationships with their mothers were cooler, oxytocin intensified the feeling of a lack of closeness.
These results may seem surprising as scientists suspected that oxytocin might only have a positive effect on social behavior and perception. The fact that after administering the hormone not all respondents began to perceive their mothers as more affectionate and loving, but on the contrary – both positive and negative memories intensified, suggests that the role of oxytocin is more specific – says the author of the study, Dr. Jennifer Bartz.
We know very little about the biological mechanisms that support the formation of bonds between people. Our research shows that – as in the case of animals – oxytocin, which modulates early memories related to the mother, may be of key importance here – adds Dr. Bartz. (PAP)