Oxytocin improves "mind-reading" in humans
Gregor Domes1, Markus Heinrichs, Andre Michel
1Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Rostock University, Rostock, Germany. gregor.domes@med.uni-rostock.de
Background:
The ability to "read the mind" of other individuals, that is, to infer their mental state by interpreting subtle social cues, is indispensable in human social interaction. The neuropeptide oxytocin plays a central role in social approach behavior in nonhuman mammals.
Methods:
In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject design, 30 healthy male volunteers were tested for their ability to infer the affective mental state of others using the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) after intranasal administration of 24 IU oxytocin.
Results:
Oxytocin improved performance on the RMET compared with placebo. This effect was pronounced for difficult compared with easy items.
Conclusions:
Our data suggest that oxytocin improves the ability to infer the mental state of others from social cues of the eye region. Oxytocin might play a role in the pathogenesis of autism spectrum disorder, which is characterized by severe social impairment.
Related Concept Videos
01:31Neurotransmitters
02:34Empathy
01:13Nonconscious Mimicry
01:10Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...
01:27Language and Cognition