The use of oxytocin may bring a new dawn to the treatment of drug addiction. This study first summarizes the neural mechanism of oxytocin affecting drug addiction from two aspects: synaptic plasticity and neural circuits. Furthermore, the theoretical hypothesis of oxytocin on addiction is reviewed, and strong evidence is made for the therapeutic effect of individual adolescent oxytocin pretreatment on drug addiction. The efficacy of oxytocin may be influenced by the effects of drug addiction on prosocial behavior. Models of prosocial behavior in rodents were also introduced to clarify the relationship between drug addiction and oxytocin and prosocial behavior. It is hoped that the review of this paper can do what can be done for researchers to understand the impact of oxytocin on drug addiction and its relationship with prosocial behavior.

Shuna Peng. Effects of Oxytocin on Drug Addiction and Its Relationship to Prosocial Behavior. International Journal of Public Health and Preventive Medicine (2023), Vol. 4, Issue 1: 37-48. https://doi.org/10.38007/IJPHPM.2023.040105.

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