The change of social interaction responses depending on oxytocin in the menopausal women

Abstract

Menopause is that every woman will process and the menopausal women experience several symptoms. In this period, the decreasing of oxytocin is related to the decreasing of estrogen which is one of the sex hormones. Oxytocin is related to anti-depression effect, enhancement of social interaction. Especially, according to previous researches, people that have problems with social interaction couldn’t contact eyes long time. But, treating the oxytocin, the duration time of eye fixation was improved. Thus, this study focused on how the social interaction is improved when the menopausal women are treated oxytocin.

Participants are recruited 39 women (45–55 age) and an eye-tracker is used to measure the duration time of eye fixation. The oxytocin was treated 3 pumps in each nostril by the nose spray. Then, experiments are processed after 30 mins because it needs to time when the oxytocin reach the brain.

We divided the high Relationship Change Scale(RCS) score group and low RCS score group through social interaction questionnaire results. Interestingly, the duration time of eye fixation percent (%) in low RCS score group was increased in the oxytocin condition compared with the placebo condition. That is, it suggests that the social interaction of women with a low RCS score is improved when the oxytocin is treated to the women.

Based on this study, oxytocin may be helpful to improve social interaction in the menopausal women.