{"id":"https://openalex.org/G5908041889","display_name":"How do sex steroids, oxytocin and vasopressin regulate social behaviors?","description":"Some of the most severe psychiatric disorders are characterized by a reduced ability to interact with others. In order to find appropriate treatments for these disorders, it is thus crucial to further understand the biological mechanisms underlying social behaviors. It has been revealed that sex steroids, oxytocin and vasopressin are important regulators of social behaviors in rodents. A series of very elegant studies has revealed an essential influence of vasopressin receptor 1a gene (AVPR1A) on pair-bonding in male voles. We were the first to provide evidence for vasopressin having similar effect on pair-bonding behavior also in men. The first aim of the current project is to further investigate to what extent variants in genes related to sex steroids, oxytocin and vasopressin are associated with different aspects of human social behaviors, including the risk of autism. The second aim of the project is to, in an experimental study, explore if oxytocin treatment may influence pair-bonding behavior. The third aim of the project is to investigate the hypothesis that testosterone via the androgen receptor may inhibit social memory. The fourth aim of the project is to explore the molecular mechanisms and neural circuits sex steroids, oxytocin and vasopressin use in their effects on social behaviors.","funder_award_id":"2011-04819","funder":{"id":"https://openalex.org/F4320322581","display_name":"Vetenskapsr\u00e5det","doi":"10.13039/501100004359"},"funded_outputs":["https://openalex.org/W2116729665","https://openalex.org/W2175793031","https://openalex.org/W2190263524","https://openalex.org/W2523744810","https://openalex.org/W2568277520","https://openalex.org/W2607748802","https://openalex.org/W2768600473","https://openalex.org/W3185189167"],"funded_outputs_count":8,"parent_awards":[],"sub_awards":[],"sub_awards_count":0,"amount":1500000.0,"currency":"SEK","amount_usd":217779.4,"amount_usd_basis":"daily_rate","recipients":[],"recipient_countries":[],"recipient_regions":[],"research_scope":{"is_research":true,"basis":"funder_default","tier":1},"funding_type":"research","funder_scheme":"Project grant","start_date":"2012-01-01","end_date":"2014-12-31","start_year":2012,"end_year":2014,"landing_page_url":"https://www.vr.se/swecris#/project/2011-04819_VR","doi":null,"provenance":"swedish_research_council","lead_investigator":{"given_name":"Lars","family_name":"Westberg","orcid":"0000-0003-3794-3910","role_start":null,"affiliation":{"name":"University of Gothenburg","country":"Sweden","ids":null}},"co_lead_investigator":null,"investigators":null,"works_api_url":"https://api.openalex.org/works?filter=awards.id:G5908041889","primary_topic":null,"topics":null,"institution_awarded":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I881427289","display_name":"University of Gothenburg","ror":"https://ror.org/01tm6cn81","country_code":"SE","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I881427289"]}],"updated_date":"2026-10-16T03:01:01.000Z","created_date":"2026-07-31T15:54:02.000Z"}