Oxytocin and Social Behavior Over the Lifespan

Using a double-blind and placebo controlled design, this study seeks to determine if a short course of exogenous oxytocin (OT) will induce changes in social activities in residentially housed older adults (OAs) during a 10-day treatment period, and after it ends. Because OT is associated with peri-reproductive behaviors, OT release in OAs is expected to be attenuated relative to younger adults. If OT release is low in OAs as we hypothesize, augmenting OT may increase their desire for social interactions, increase the frequency of participation in social activities and augment the number of and quality of social ties, thereby providing protection against disease, early death, cognitive decline, and depression. Research in rodents suggests that social interactions themselves may change chronic OT levels (Carter & Keverne, 2002; Carter & Altemus, 1997), in a positive feedback loop. In order to demonstrate OT as the causal mechanism, we propose to infuse oxytocin and then track the desire for, quantity of, and quality of social activities.

Inclusion criteria

• residentially housed
• English fluency

Exclusion criteria

• non ambulatory
• severe psychiatric problems presently or in the recent past
• severe medical problems (e.g., cancer, diabetes, advanced heart disease)
• irregular heart beat
• treatment using psychoactive medications (other than antiepileptics, mood stabilizers, or Ambien)
• inability to adequately communicate with the research team
• treatment with an experimental drug
• excessive fatigue suggesting hypothyroidism