Oxytocin and vasopressin: linking pituitary neuropeptides and their receptors to social neurocircuits.

ABSTRACT: Oxytocin and vasopressin are pituitary neuropeptides that have been shown to affect social processes in mammals. There is growing interest in these molecules and their receptors as potential precipitants of, and/or treatments for, social deficits in neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder. Numerous behavioral-genetic studies suggest that there is an association between these peptides and individual social abilities; however, an explanatory model that links hormonal activity at the receptor level to complex human behavior remains elusive. The following review summarizes the known associations between the oxytocin and vasopressin neuropeptide systems and social neurocircuits in the brain. Following a micro- to macro- level trajectory, current literature on the synthe

SUBMITTER: Baribeau DA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4585313 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature