Study issues warning: Opioid inhibitor naltrexone (often used to treat addictions) can reduce feelings of social connection

_________ Science has long known that having positive social connection is important to a happy and healthy life. But less is understood about how our brains support and encourage connecting with others. While prior research has suggested oxytocin plays a role in nurturing and trusting others, thereby strengthening social bonds, many researchers also suspect that brain opioids are important to social connection. Opioids are naturally occurring brain chemicals—perhaps the most well-known being endorphins—that cause pleasurable sensations in the body and encourage us to enjoy whatever we are experiencing. It’s possible that opioids also cause the warm feelings we get in social encounters, thereby encouraging us to be more engaged with others. But, according to a recent study, the role of opioids may be a little more complicated than that—and there are practical implications for how we treat drug addiction. Opioids target social connection — Naltrexone, a medication that inhibits opioids’ impact Participants unaware of the study’s purpose took an opioid inhibitor called naltrexone for a four-day trial and a placebo for another four-day trial in randomized order, with a break in between to clean out their system. Over the course of the experiment, the participants kept daily track of how socially connected they felt and how positive their moods were. On the fourth day of each trial, they completed a task in the lab, reading six very kind messages that loved ones had...
Source: SharpBrains - Category: Neuroscience Authors: Tags: Cognitive Neuroscience Health & Wellness drug addiction endorphins naltrexone neural-activity Neurochemical neuroimaging opioids oxytocin social-connection Source Type: blogs