Four-week intranasal oxytocin administration reduces attachment avoidance in older women.

ABSTRACT: The neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) serves as a critical modulator of social cognition and social behavior. Adult attachment is an affiliative process crucial for social interaction across adulthood. Insecure adult attachment comprises two broad dimensions, attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance. Both these dimensions of attachment are currently understudied regarding OT modulation, and especially in older adults. The present study determined the effects of chronic intranasal OT administration on adult attachment in generally healthy older women and men (aged 55-95 years). Embedded in a larger project, participants were randomly assigned to self-administer 24 international units of either OT or a placebo (P) intranasally twice daily for four weeks. The Experiences in Close Relationships Sc

SUBMITTER: Wright KA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10961710 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature