In recent decades, oxytocin, which is secreted to the touch and the body among other uses to start births, noted for its effects on prosocial behavior, such as trust and empathy.
A study from the Sahlgrenska Academy at Gothenburg University, shows that oxytocin may also be involved in anti-social and aggressive behavior.
– We found a relationship between genetic variation and anti-social behavior in a first trial and then found a similar association in a follow-up study which makes finding much stronger, says Lars Westberg, a researcher at the Sahlgrenska Academy.
The researchers studied the gene for oxytocin receptor (acceptor) in two groups of young people gathered in the Swedish Twin Registry. The first group included 2,372 people and the second one 232.
The young people were asked to answer questionnaires about antisocial and aggressive behavior. The questions covered everything from how often truant from school to how often they are stolen, been in a fight, brought the knife out among the people and sold or used for different drugs.
– Although the effect of the genetic variation is relatively small, the results suggest that oxytocin is involved in the regulation of antisocial and aggressive behavior in humans, says Lars Westberg.
Previous studies in rodents have suggested that oxytocin inhibits aggression and based on the new results can therefore imagine that oxytocin acts worse in individuals who have this genetic risk factor.
– The results suggest that oxytocin could possibly be used to treat aggression, says Lars Westberg.
article
Anti-Social Behavior and polymorphisms in the oxytocin receptor gene: findings in two independent samples 
published in Molecular Psychiatry 22 September.
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