Oxytocin and eating disorders: A narrative review on emerging findings and perspectives.
Curr. Neuropharmacol. 16, 1111-1121 (2018)
Background: The hypothalamic neuropeptide oxytocin regulates reproductive behavior and mother-infant interaction, and conclusive studies in humans indicate that oxytocin is also a potent modulator of psychosocial function. Pilot experiments have yielded first evidence that this neuropeptide moreover influences eating behavior.Methods: We briefly summarize currently available studies on the involvement of the oxytocin system in the pathophysiology of eating disorders, as well as on the effects of oxytocin administration in patients with these disorders.Results: Brain administration of oxytocin in animals with normal weight, but also with diet-induced or genetically induced obesity, attenuates food intake and reduces body weight. In normal-weight and obese individuals, acute intranasal oxytocin delivery curbs calorie intake from main dishes and snacks. Such effects might converge with the poignant social and cognitive impact of oxytocin to also improve dysfunctional eating behavior in the therapeutic context. This assumption has received support in first studies showing that oxytocin might play a role in the disease process of anorexia nervosa. In contrast, respective experiments in patients with bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder are still scarce.Conclusions: We propose a framework of oxytocin's role and its therapeutic potential in eating disorders that aims at integrating social and metabolic aspects of its pharmacological profile, and ponder perspectives and limitations of oxytocin use in the clinical setting.
Impact Factor
Scopus SNIP
Web of Science
Times Cited
Scopus
Cited By
Altmetric
Publication type
Article: Journal article
Document type
Review
Thesis type
Editors
Keywords
Anorexia Nervosa ; Binge Eating Disorder ; Bulimia Nervosa ; Eating Behavior ; Eating Disorders ; Oxytocin ; Therapeutic Options; Hypothalamic Paraventricular Nucleus; Prader-willi-syndrome; Increases Energy-expenditure; Insulin-induced Hypoglycemia; Female Prairie Voles; Anorexia-nervosa; Intranasal Oxytocin; Food-intake; Peripheral Oxytocin; Human Brain
Keywords plus
Language
english
Publication Year
2018
Prepublished in Year
HGF-reported in Year
2018
ISSN (print) / ISBN
1570-159X
e-ISSN
1875-6190
ISBN
Book Volume Title
Conference Title
Conference Date
Conference Location
Proceedings Title
Quellenangaben
Volume: 16,
Issue: 8,
Pages: 1111-1121
Article Number: ,
Supplement: ,
Series
Publisher
Bentham Science Publishers
Publishing Place
San Francisco, Calif.
Day of Oral Examination
0000-00-00
Advisor
Referee
Examiner
Topic
University
University place
Faculty
Publication date
0000-00-00
Application date
0000-00-00
Patent owner
Further owners
Application country
Patent priority
Reviewing status
Peer reviewed
POF-Topic(s)
90000 - German Center for Diabetes Research
Research field(s)
Helmholtz Diabetes Center
PSP Element(s)
G-502400-003
Grants
Copyright
Erfassungsdatum
2018-09-10