In its best understood role, oxytocin is released in large amounts during labor, intensifying the uterine contractions that open the cervix and allowing the baby to pass through the birth canal. "Scientists have suggested that oxytocin may play a role in stress by interfering with the sympathetic nervous system's fight fright and flight response - such that the person under threat can stand their ground as opposed to fighting or fleeing," she said.Īdditionally, oxytocin has been shown to help people better tolerate pain, with a 2015 review in Current Pharmaceutical Design (opens in new tab) finding that the analgesic (pain relieving), anxiolytic (anxiety relieving), antidepressant and other central nervous system effects make oxytocin a valuable form of therapeutic pain relief.
This oxytocin surge might work to enhance cognitive accuracy and help to buffer the negative effects of cortisol, Lee said. Both hormones remained elevated over the exam period, during which the women were under an increased amount of stress. A 2021 study in the journal Stress (opens in new tab) found that oxytocin levels began to rise a week before cortisol levels did in college-aged women who were approaching final exam season.
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