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Administração de oxitocina como terapia complementar em cães com fobia social interespecífica
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Abstract(s)
A oxitocina é um neuropeptídeo sintetizado no hipotálamo, que desempenha um papel fundamental na
cognição social, comportamentos sociais, condicionamento do medo, ansiedade, humor, modulação
do stress, filiação social e ligação aos pares. Sendo um peptídeo de grande tamanho molecular, esta
molécula dificilmente atravessará a barreira hemato-encefálica. Por isso, a maioria dos estudos sobre
a oxitocina utilizaram a forma de administração intranasal. Devido ao seu envolvimento no
comportamento social, a oxitocina foi estudada na medicina humana como terapia em vários distúrbios
psicológicos com funcionamento social deficiente, tais como stress pós-traumático, ansiedade social,
autismo ou esquizofrenia, com resultados bastante encorajadores. Estes resultados permitem-nos
questionar a possibilidade de utilizar uma terapia com oxitocina em cães que também sofrem de fobia
social, particularmente dirigida aos seres humanos. De facto, nos últimos anos, o interesse pela
medicina do comportamento animal aumentou, levando à descoberta de doenças psiquiátricas
semelhantes em cães e humanos. O cão já é utilizado em muitos estudos como modelo natural de
doenças humanas devido ao seu comportamento social complexo semelhante ao humano. Assim, a
terapia com oxitocina, utilizada em humanos, pode produzir os mesmos resultados em cães com fobia
social. Neste estudo, a possibilidade de terapia com oxitocina em cães e a sua forma de administração
serão revistas.
Oxytocin is a neuropeptide synthesised in the hypothalamus, which plays a key role in social cognition, social behaviours, fear conditioning, anxiety, mood, stress modulation, social affiliation and pair bonding. Being peptide of large molecular size, it is difficult for oxytocin to cross the blood-brain barrier. Hence, many studies have focused on an intranasal form of administration. Due to its involvement in social behaviour, oxytocin has been studied in human medicine as therapy in several psychological disorders with impaired social functioning, such as post-traumatic stress, social anxiety, autism or schizophrenia, with rather encouraging results. These results allow us to question the possibility of oxytocin therapy in dogs also suffering from social phobia, particularly directed towards humans. Indeed, in the past few years, interest in animal behavioural medicine has risen, leading to the discovery of similar psychiatric diseases in dogs and humans. The dog is already used in many studies as a natural model of complex human diseases due to their complex human-like social behaviour. Therefore, oxytocin therapy used in humans can produce the same results in phobic dogs. In this study, the possibility of such therapy in phobic dogs and its form of application are reviewed.
Oxytocin is a neuropeptide synthesised in the hypothalamus, which plays a key role in social cognition, social behaviours, fear conditioning, anxiety, mood, stress modulation, social affiliation and pair bonding. Being peptide of large molecular size, it is difficult for oxytocin to cross the blood-brain barrier. Hence, many studies have focused on an intranasal form of administration. Due to its involvement in social behaviour, oxytocin has been studied in human medicine as therapy in several psychological disorders with impaired social functioning, such as post-traumatic stress, social anxiety, autism or schizophrenia, with rather encouraging results. These results allow us to question the possibility of oxytocin therapy in dogs also suffering from social phobia, particularly directed towards humans. Indeed, in the past few years, interest in animal behavioural medicine has risen, leading to the discovery of similar psychiatric diseases in dogs and humans. The dog is already used in many studies as a natural model of complex human diseases due to their complex human-like social behaviour. Therefore, oxytocin therapy used in humans can produce the same results in phobic dogs. In this study, the possibility of such therapy in phobic dogs and its form of application are reviewed.
Description
Keywords
Cães Fobia social interespecífica Oxitocina Terapia comportamental Behavioural therapy Dogs Interspecific social phobia Oxytocin