Is it true that psychopaths lack the neurotransmitter oxytocin?

Answer 1

Heh, I actually read a thing about the opposite being true. Oxytocin isn't a neurotransmitter first of all, it's a mere mamillian hormone.

Second of all, the only personality profile not made more generous in their nature by this anti-oxidant was, guess what? The psychopath/sociopath.

No amount of theorapy seems to have the slightest effect on the sociopath; and some psychopharmalogical theorapies make it even worse, such as the use of anti-depressants.

Oxytocin therapy being ineffective for psychopathy does not mean there is no link between its deficiency and pschopathy nor that it makes the psychopath worse. The link between oxytocin deficiency and psychopathy and Narcissism is based on studies done by Paul Zak (book Miracle Molecule; Psychology Today-Why Some People Are Evil, on-line). I don't know of any other studies on this. The link between psychopathy and abnormal extraversion (aka cholerics or undercontrollers) is very solidly based (on over 20 personality studies, eg., John, O., Srivastava, S. The Big 5 Trait Taxonomy: History, Measurement , and Theoretical Perspectives. In L. Pervin and O.P. John (Eds.), Handbook of Personality: Theory and Research (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford.).

Also, oxytocin is both a hormone and a neurotransmitter (see Oxytocin receptor genetic variation relates to empathy and stress reactivity in humans, by Sarina Rodrigues et al, pnas.org)