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Cerebrospinal Fluid Oxytocin Levels in Trichotillomania

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 November 2014

Abstract

Several lines of evidence suggest that the neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) may be involved in the pathophysiology of obsessive-compulsive behavior in humans and repetitive grooming behavior in animals. Trichotillomania (TTM), which is characterized by chronic hair pulling, may be conceptualized as a disorder of pathologic grooming. To investigate the role of OT in TTM, the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of OT in nine women with TTM and nine healthy female controls were measured. Early findings from this ongoing study fail to demonstrate a significant difference in CSF OT levels between women with TTM and healthy female controls.

Type
Feature Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1998

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