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Rebalancing the Addicted Brain: Oxytocin Interference with the Neural Substrates of Addiction

Michael T Bowen1, Inga D Neumann2

  • 1The University of Sydney, Faculty of Science, School of Psychology, Sydney, NSW, Australia; The University of Sydney, Brain and Mind Centre, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Trends in Neurosciences
|November 13, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Drugs targeting the brain oxytocin (OXT) system show promise for treating substance-use disorders. OXT rebalances neural systems, potentially treating addiction across all substance classes and stages.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Pharmacology
  • Addiction Research

Background:

  • Substance-use disorders (SUDs) are complex neurological conditions.
  • Current treatments for SUDs have limited efficacy across all addiction types.
  • The brain's oxytocin (OXT) system is implicated in social behavior and stress regulation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the potential of targeting the brain oxytocin (OXT) system for treating substance-use disorders.
  • To investigate OXT's role in addiction across different substance classes and stages of the addiction cycle.

Main Methods:

  • Review of emerging evidence on OXT's neurobiological effects.
  • Analysis of OXT's potential to modulate neural systems dysregulated in addiction.
  • Exploration of OXT's therapeutic implications for addiction treatment.

Main Results:

  • The brain OXT system shows potential for treating addiction to a wide range of substances.
  • OXT may intervene across all stages of the addiction cycle by rebalancing neural systems.
  • Dysregulation of core neural systems is a hallmark of addiction, which OXT may correct.

Conclusions:

  • Targeting the brain OXT system represents a promising therapeutic strategy for substance-use disorders.
  • A deeper understanding of OXT's interaction with neural substrates of addiction can improve treatment efficacy.
  • OXT-based therapies could offer a breakthrough for effectively treating addiction.
Keywords:
AddictionOxytocinSubstance-use disorders

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