Oxytocin as the Neurobiological Basis of Synchronization: A Research Proposal

Synchronization of physiological signals between individuals seems to originate from intra-uterine life between mother and fetus (Feldman, 2006) and continues to characterize relational events in the entire human lifespan. Although referable to a wide pattern of phenomena underpinned both by central and peripheral nervous system, the term physiological synchronization (PS) is mostly used in literature to denote the autonomic nervous system mutual modulations (Palumbo et al., 2017), of two or more people interacting [even without eye contact, e.g., only by hearing each other; Vanutelli et al. (2017)]. Even though PS seems to occur also during behavioral coordination, the great majority of studies are recently addressed to define the intriguing phenomenon of the co-occurrence of PS and emotional/affective attunement, happening even when interacting people are involved in minimal and not necessarily coordinated behaviors [e.g., eye gaze; Palumbo et al. (2017)]. The neurotransmittitorial system underpinning PS has never been investigated. Our idea is that oxytocin may be the eligible candidate to be investigated as a mediator of PS, on the basis of the following arguments: (a) Both PS and oxytocin release occur in the same affiliative processes; (b) Aggressivity and conflictual exchange are characterized by both PS and oxytocin release, an aspect that is only in ostensible contradiction with the previous one; (c) PS and oxytocin system functioning have compatible neural underpinnings; (d) PS and oxytocin have all shown an association with psychotherapy process and outcome.