Radboud Annals of Medical Students

RAMS

  • Home
  • News
    • Newsletter archive
  • About
    • RAMS
    • The Board
    • The General Board
      • The General Board (2022-2023)
      • Previous General Boards
    • The Editorial Board
      • The Editorial Board (2022-2023)
      • Previous Editorial Boards
    • The Supervisory Board
    • Reviewers and Editors
    • RAMS Committees
      • Symposium Committee
      • Masterclass Committee
  • Editions
    • 2022-2023
      • Twenty-fourth edition – April 2023
    • 2021-2022
      • Twentieth Edition – September 2021
      • Twentyfirst Edition – December 2021
      • Twenty second Edition – March 2022
    • 2020-2021
      • Sixteenth edition – September 2020
      • Seventeenth edition – December 2020
      • Eighteenth edition – March 2021
      • Nineteenth Edition – June 2021
    • 2019-2020
      • Fourteenth edition – December 2019
      • Fifteenth edition – April 2020
      • Sixteenth edition – September 2020
    • 2018-2019
      • Eleventh Edition – September 2018
      • Twelfth Edition – January 2019
      • Thirteenth edition – May 2019
    • 2017 – 2018
      • Ninth Edition – November 2017
      • Tenth Edition – February 2018
    • 2016-2017
      • Sixth Edition – November 2016
      • Seventh Edition – March 2017
      • Eighth Edition – July 2017
    • 2015-2016
      • Third Edition – November 2015
      • Fourth Edition – March 2016
      • Fifth Edition – June 2016
    • 2014-2015
      • Pilot Edition – June 2014
      • First Edition – January 2015
      • Second Edition – June 2015
  • For Authors
    • Submit your Article
    • Research internship
  • For Supervisors
  • For Reviewers
  • Contact
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookiebeleid (EU)
Je bent hier: Home / News / An act of kindness a day keeps the doctor away?

An act of kindness a day keeps the doctor away?

16 december 2020 by Rams

Yfke Prins

As you are all well aware by now, it is almost Christmas. The time of the year where it is allowed, even encouraged, to watch  Christmas movies while wearing atrocious-but-yet-funny Christmas sweaters. It is the time of warm socks, blankets and cheerful Christmas decorations. However, above all, it is a time of compassion and kindness towards one another. Speaking of kindness – have you ever noticed that an act of kindness made you feel happy?  I certainly have, and that made me wonder what the neurobiological basis of kindness is.  How do we, from a neuroendocrinological perspective, display kindness?   

Humans exhibit high amounts of prosocial behaviour, including empathy, cooperation, care, and altruism [1]. Out of an evolutionary perspective, this behaviour is essential to sustain us, and mammals as a species in general, as the offspring of mammals are born relatively early and vulnerable in comparison to other classes of animals [1]. Therefore, proper care and nursing of the offspring are needed to ensure their longevity, promoting the survival of the species [1]. Several hormonal circuits in the brain have been implicated in this care-centred behaviour, including oxytocin [2]. 

You might have already heard of oxytocin, which is also referred to as the “cuddle hormone”[2]. Oxytocin is secreted by the hypothalamus, after which it is secreted systemically through the posterior pituitary gland [3]. The secretion of oxytocin, and the expression of the oxytocin receptor, is altered during pregnancy, which is vital for care-based behaviour of the mother – hence its nickname as the cuddle hormone. [4] In accordance with this line of thought, the intranasal administration of oxytocin has also been shown to increase prosocial behaviour [5]. Although the predominant effect of oxytocin is an increase in prosocial behaviour, in rare cases, the intranasal administration of oxytocin can result in increased antisocial behaviour, including jealousy and aggression [5]. This variability in the results suggests that there are interpersonal variables affecting one’s response to oxytocin [5].

Considering oxytocin’s effect on prosocial behaviour, it is not surprising that oxytocin has also been associated with several health benefits [7]. For example, oxytocin is capable of inhibiting adrenocorticotropic hormone, which, together with its effector hormone cortisol, forms the hormonal “stress-axis” [7]. Inhibition of this axis results in a decreased secretion of cortisol and, therefore, also in reduced levels of stress [7]. 

Overall, we can conclude that oxytocin is a central player in prosocial behaviour. Perhaps, an act of kindness does keep the doctor away (partially)! Let that serve as a reminder during this Christmas time to keep an eye out for others; call your grandparent(s), call your friends, or write a Christmas card to the elderly at a nursing home. They will appreciate it, and it will not harm you either – give your brain an oxytocin boost! Lastly, I want to wish you, on behalf of the board of Radboud Annals of Medical Students, a merry Christmas and a  fantastic 2021, a year in which we hope to see many of you at our (online) activities! 

References:

[1] Goetz, J., Keltner, D., Simon-Thomas, E. Compassion: An Evolutionary Analysis and Empirical Review. Psychol Bull. 136, 351-374.

[2] Ubellacker, J.M., et al. Lymph protects metastasizing melanoma cells from ferroptosis. Nature 585, 113-118 (2020).

[3] Mehlen, P. & Puisieux, A. Metastasis: a question of life or death. Nature reviews. Cancer 6, 449-458 (2006).

[4] Vanharanta, S. & Massagué, J. Origins of metastatic traits. Cancer cell24, 410-421 (2013).

[5] Piskounova, E., et al. Oxidative stress inhibits distant metastasis by human melanoma cells. Nature 527, 186-191 (2015).

[6] Dixon, S.J. & Stockwell, B.R. The Hallmarks of Ferroptosis. Annual Review of Cancer Biology 3, 35-54 (2019).

[7] Spitz, D.R., et al. The effect of monosaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids on oxygen toxicity in cultured cells. Pediatr Res 32, 366-372 (1992).

Categorie: News, Uncategorized

RAMS Newsletter

RAMS complies to the GDPR. By submitting your e-mail address to us you agree with our Privacy Policy.

Social Media


Sponsors & Partners

  • Brian Gardner
  • Lauren Mancke
  • Nathan Rice
  • Nick Croft
  • Rafal Tomal
  • Ron Rennick
© Copyright 2014 RADBOUD ANNALS OF MEDICAL STUDENTS · All Rights Reserved · Powered by PLatform11
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Altijd ingeschakeld
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDuurOmschrijving
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
OPSLAAN & ACCEPTEREN
Aangedreven door CookieYes Logo