Cited by 9Neuroendocrine regulation and behaviorNeuropeptides and Animal PhysiologyStress Responses and Cortisol

Changes in social functioning and circulating oxytocin and vasopressin following the migration to a new country

Gouin, Jean-Philippe, Pournajafi-Nazarloo, Hossein, Carter, C. Sue·2015·Physiology & Behavior

Abstract

Prior studies have reported associations between plasma oxytocin and vasopressin and markers of social functioning. However, because most human studies have used cross-sectional designs, it is unclear whether plasma oxytocin and vasopressin influences social functioning or whether social functioning modulates the production and peripheral release of these peptides. In order to address this question, we followed individuals who experienced major changes in social functioning subsequent to the migration to a new country. In this study, 59 new international students were recruited shortly after arrival in the host country and reassessed 2 and 5 months later. At each assessment participants provided information on their current social functioning and blood samples for oxytocin and vasopressin analysis. Results indicated that changes in social functioning were not related to changes in plasma oxytocin. Instead, baseline oxytocin predicted changes in social relationship satisfaction, social support, and loneliness over time. In contrast, plasma vasopressin changed as a function of social integration. Baseline vasopressin was not related to changes in social functioning over time. These results emphasize the different roles of plasma oxytocin and vasopressin in responses to changes in social functioning in humans.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.physbeh.2014.11.021

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  • More than 100 papers have recently been published using assays claimed to measure oxytocin and vasopressin in human plasma simply and reliably.

    “more than 100 papers have recently been published using assays that have been claimed to measure oxytocin and vasopressin in human plasma simply and reliably”
  • These papers report levels massively inconsistent with previous assays.

    “but which report levels massively inconsistent with previous assays”
  • Many recent papers use an enzyme-linked immunoassay to measure plasma levels without extracting the samples.

    “However, many recent papers use an enzyme‐linked immunoassay to measure plasma levels without extracting the samples.”
  • The manufacturer's advice to extract plasma has been largely ignored; many studies have used the Enzo assay on unextracted human plasma, reporting mean concentrations of oxytocin and vasopressin typically 100-500 pg/ml, and those that diluted samples did so by less than the manufacturer's recommendations without confirming that their dilution was adequate.

    “This advice has been largely ignored. Many studies have used this assay on unextracted human plasma, reporting mean concentrations of oxytocin and vasopressin of typically 100–500 pg/ml 3, 4, 5, 6, 114. Those that have diluted samples have done so by less than the manufacturer's recommendations, without confirming that their dilution is adequate.”
  • None of the four studies cited in the Introduction as examples of the use of ELISAs to measure oxytocin and vasopressin in unextracted samples made any correction for multiple comparisons in their analyses.

    “Indeed, none of the four studies cited in the Introduction 3, 4, 5, 6 as examples of the use of ELISAs to measure oxytocin and vasopressin in unextracted samples made any correction for multiple comparisons in their analyses.”

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Authors
Gouin, J.-P., Pournajafi-Nazarloo, H., & Carter, C. S.
Affiliations
  • Concordia University (CA)
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (US)
Corresponding author
Gouin, Jean-Philippe
Venue
Physiology & Behavior
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2015-02
Volume
139
Pages
67-72
ISSN
0031-9384 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W1964458312
Cited by
9
References
63
Citations by year
2025: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 3
FWCI
1.98
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Physiology & Behavior (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
  • Canada Research Chairs
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuropeptides and Animal Physiology
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
Keywords
oxytocin, vasopressin, social functioning, migration, international students, social integration, social relationship satisfaction, social support, loneliness, plasma peptide levels, social change
MeSH terms
Adult, Female, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Loneliness, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Oxytocin, Surveys and Questionnaires, Statistics as Topic, Stress, Psychological, Vasopressins, Emigrants and Immigrants, Young Adult

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