Oxytocin & well-being as promoters of affect regulation and homeostasis: a neuroscientific review

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15448/1980-8623.2020.2.30291

Keywords:

Ocitocina, Saúde, Homeostase

Abstract

Neurohormone oxytocin release affects mood and behavior in humans, regulating emotional and physiologic aspects.  Neuroscience associates well-being to oxytocin to characterize a general positive-valenced emotional state.  However, the terms well-being and oxytocin are absent, or present in a limited way, in most indexes of psychological terminology and health science descriptors.  This study aimed at studying how this association occurs in literature, based on a systematic review on oxytocin and well-being in the last five years.  Main results: the neuroscientific context seemed to be the most adequate to the study between oxytocin and well-being; association between psychological and neuroendocrine aspects was unusual; medical templates predominated over psychological references;  oxytocin release and feelings of well-being were associated to stimuli of the affective-sensorial type, to psychiatric interventions, to familiarity; results varied according to age, gender, context and personality.

 

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Author Biographies

Eliana Nogueira-vale, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP.

Titulação Acadêmica: Doutora em Neurociência e Comportamento Afiliação Institucional: Departamento de Psicologia Experimental. Núcleo de Neurociência e Comportamento e Neurociência Aplicada [PSE – NEC]. Laboratório de Psicofisiologia Sensorial. Instituto de Psicologia da Universidade de São Paulo. São Paulo, SP.

Nathalia Augusta De Almeida, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP.

Titulação Acadêmica: Mestre em Psicologia Clínica Afiliação Institucional: Departamento de Psicologia Clínica [PSC]. Membro do Laboratório Sujeito e Corpo (SuCor) e do Grupo de Pesquisas CNPq, Projeto Guarda-Chuva – SuCor Práticas Clínicas em Psicossomática. Instituto de Psicologia da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP.

Marcelo Fernandes da Costa, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP.

Titulação Acadêmica: Professor Associado II em Psicologia Sensorial e da Percepção; Chefe Suplente do Departamento de Psicologia Experimental; Coordenador do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociência e Comportamento do Instituto de Psicologia (CAPES 5) (CAPES 7); Chefe do Laboratório de Psicofisiologia Sensorial. Afiliação Institucional: Departamento de Psicologia Experimental. Psicologia Sensorial e da Percepção. Núcleo de Neurociência e Comportamento e Neurociência Aplicada [PSE – NEC]. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociência e Comportamento do Instituto de Psicologia, Laboratório de Psicofisiologia Sensorial. Instituto de Psicologia da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP.

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2020-02-12

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Nogueira-vale, E. ., De Almeida, N. A., & da Costa, M. F. (2020). Oxytocin & well-being as promoters of affect regulation and homeostasis: a neuroscientific review. Psico, 51(2), e30291. https://doi.org/10.15448/1980-8623.2020.2.30291

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Vol. 51 No. 2 (2020)

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Revisão Sistemática

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