Oxytocin, Vasopressin and Related Peptides in the Regulation of Behavior

The mammalian neurohypophyseal peptide hormones oxytocin and vasopressin act to mediate human social behavior - they affect trust and social relationships and have an influence on avoidance responses. Describing the evolutionary roots of the effects that these neuropeptides have on behavior, this book examines remarkable parallel findings in both humans and non-human animals. The chapters are structured around three key issues: the molecular and neurohormonal mechanisms of peptides; phylogenetic considerations of their role in vertebrates; and their related effects on human behavior, social cognition and clinical applications involving psychiatric disorders such as autism. A final chapter summarizes current research perspectives and reflects on the outlook for future developments. Providing a comparative overview and featuring contributions from leading researchers, this is a valuable resource for graduate students, researchers and clinicians in this rapidly developing field.

List of contributors; Preface Elena Choleris, Martin Kavaliers and Donald W. Pfaff; Part I. Oxytocin and Vasopressin Systems – Anatomy, Function, and Development: 1. Oxytocin, vasopressin and their interplay with gonadal steroids Monica B. Dhakar, Erica L. Stevenson and Heather K. Caldwell; 2. Oxytocin and vasopressin release and their receptor-mediated intracellular pathways that determine their behavioral effects Inga D. Neumann and Erwin H. van den Burg; 3. Regulation of oxytocin and vasopressin secretion: involvement of the calcium amplification pathway through cyclic ADP-ribose and CD38 Haruhiro Higashida, Olga Lopatina and Amina Sarawat; 4. The organizational effects of oxytocin and vasopressin: behavioral implications Bruce S. Cushing; Part II. Behavioral Studies - Comparative Approach: 5. Social regulatory functions of vasotocin and isotocin in fish Richmond R. Thompson and James C. Walton; 6. Vasotocin modulation of social behaviors in amphibians Sunny K. Boyd; 7. Nonapeptide mechanisms of avian social behavior and phenotypic diversity James L. Goodson; 8. Oxytocin, vasopressin, and the evolution of mating systems in mammals Sara M. Freeman and Larry J. Young; 9. Oxytocin regulation of maternal behavior: from rodents to humans Cort A. Pedersen; 10. Oxytocin regulation of social and maternal behavior in sheep Keith M. Kendrick; 11. The roles of vasopressin and oxytocin in aggression Jerome H. Pagani, Scott R. Wersinger and W. Scott Young, III; 12. The role of vasopressin in flank marking and aggression Craig F. Ferris, Richard H. Melloni, Jr and H. Elliott Albers; 13. The involvement of oxytocin and vasopressin in social recognition and social learning: interplay with the sex hormones Riccardo Dore, Anna Phan, Amy E. Clipperton-Allen, Martin Kavaliers and Elena Choleris; 14. Oxytocin, vasopressin, sociality and pathogen avoidance Martin Kavaliers and Elena Choleris; 15. Oxytocin and addiction: recent preclinical advances and future clinical potential Ian McGregor and Michael T. Bowen; 16. Oxytocin and vasopressin in non-human primates Benjamin J. Ragen and Karen L. Bales; Part III. Human Studies: 17. The involvement of oxytocin and vasopressin in fear and anxiety: animal and human studies Yoav Litvin and Donald W. Pfaff; 18. Oxytocin instantiates empathy and produces prosocial behaviors Jorge A. Barraza and Paul J. Zak; 19. Oxytocin and vasopressin in human sociality and social psychopathologies Richard P. Ebstein, Idan Shalev, Salomon Israel, Florina Uzefovsky, Reut Avinun, Ariel Knafo, Nurit Yirmiya and David Mankuta; 20. Oxytocin and autism Joshua J. Green, Bonnie Taylor and Eric Hollander; Conclusion: oxytocin, vasopressin and related peptides in the regulation of behavior. Where next? Elena Choleris, Martin Kavaliers and Donald W. Pfaff; Index.

Elena Choleris is Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Her main field of expertise is the neurobiology of social behavior in rodents.
Donald W. Pfaff is Professor and Head of the Laboratory of Neurobiology and Behavior at the Rockefeller University, New York, USA. A Member of the National Academy of Sciences, he was awarded the 2011 Lehrman Lifetime Achievement Award by the Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology.
Martin Kavaliers is Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Western Ontario, London, Canada. His main field of expertise is the neurobiology of biobehavioral responses to naturalistic stressors in rodents.