The Biology of Resilience

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2012-04-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

Positive social relationships have consistently been associated with better health, although the neurobiological underpinnings of these observed effects remain largely unknown. The overall goal of the proposed work is to explore novel biological pathways that may explain how social relationships influence health. Recent theorizing suggests that the oxytocin system may underlie some of the observed beneficial effects. Four hypotheses will be examined:

1. Oxytocin ameliorates the deleterious neuroendocrine, cardiovascular, and subjective effects of stress.

2. Oxytocin and social support have similar and additive stress-buffering effects.

3. Effects of oxytocin are evident among younger and older adults.

4. Effects of oxytocin are stronger in women vs men.

• Phase: N/A
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Harvard School of Public Health; Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH)
• Collaborator: Brigham and Women's Hospital
• Treatments: Oxytocin

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• age 22-65, BMI < 30, healthy, English-speaking, 9th grade reading level.

Exclusion Criteria:

• any known medical condition (including mental disorders) or on any type of medication

• high levels of social anxiety

• smokers

• high rates of alcohol or drug use

• pregnant or suspected pregnant

• breastfeeding

• blood pressures > 140/90 mm Hg

• subject does not have a close friend available to participate in the study with him/her