Spray Away That Marital Stress, Researcher Suggests

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In addition, couples who received oxytocin were able to express their emotions, both negative and positive, more openly than those who received a placebo, Ditzen said. "From a psychological standpoint, this is what we are trying to do in resolving conflicts," Ditzen added.

These finding suggest that oxytocin has a positive effect, Ditzen said, but noted, "We have to be cautious, and wait until all the data is analyzed before we can draw a final conclusion."

Oxytocin, which is produced in the brain and released by the pituitary gland, has been linked in prior research to the ability of people to trust others and take care of each other. A joint Japanese-American study last fall found that female mice bred without the hormone forgot to take care of their young.

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One expert thinks oxytocin may be useful in treating some psychiatric problems.

"This is quite interesting and suggests a potentially important role for oxytocin in social interactions," said Elliott Albers, director of the Center for Behavioral Neuroscience at Georgia State University. "There is vast animal data that suggests that oxytocin may be linked to pair bonding."

Oxytocin "may be useful for autism," he added. "It could be useful in treating some disorders, but we will have to see what kind of disorders it might be effective in,"

Another study presented at the meeting suggests that hormones such as testosterone and cortisol may contribute to the "home-field advantage" in sports. The need to defend one's territory and perform well in front of hometown fans may account for that advantage, researchers report.

In this study, Justin Carre, a doctoral candidate in the department of psychology at Brock University in Ontario, Canada, and colleagues monitored testosterone and cortisol levels in members of a Canadian ice hockey team. Hormone levels were checked before and after games.

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