Official websites use. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. In humans and rodent animal models, the brain oxytocin system is paramount for facilitating social bonds, from the formation and consequences of early-life parent-infant bonds to adult pair bond relationships.
However, new evidence suggests that the negative consequences of early neglect or partner loss may be mediated by disruptions in the oxytocin system as well. With a focus on oxytocin and its receptor, we review studies from humans and animal models, i.
The abundance of social bonds and benevolent social relationships, in general, are associated with protective effects against psycho- and physiopathology not only in the developing infant, but also during adulthood. Furthermore, we discuss the negative effects on well-being, emotionality and behaviour, when these bonds are diminished in quality or are disrupted, for example through parental neglect of the young or the loss of the partner in adulthood.
Strikingly, in prairie voles, oxytocinergic signalling plays an important developmental role in the ability to form bonds later in life in the face of early-life neglect, while disruption of oxytocin signalling following partner loss results in the emergence of depressive-like behaviour and physiology. This review demonstrates the translational value of animal models for investigating the oxytocinergic mechanisms that underlie the detrimental effects of developmental parental neglect and pair bond disruption, encouraging future translationally relevant studies on this topic that is so central to our daily lives.
Social relationships are vital for the well-being of humans. The first and most crucial social relationship in life is developed at birth between the offspring and the parents. The formation of relationships persists throughout life, where new ties are established between individuals and family, friends, co-workers, and partners.
