title: Oxytocin improves "mind-reading" in humans.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Rostock University, Rostock, Germany. gregor.domes@med.uni-rostock.de
authors.forename: Gregor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Domes
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heinrichs
authors.forename: Andre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Michel
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.forename: Sabine C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Herpertz
mesh_terms: D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000328:Adult; D001364:Awareness; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology; D003463:Cues; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004645:Empathy; D005149:Facial Expression; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D009633:Nonverbal Communication / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values; D012938:Social Perception; D013688:Telepathy / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D010121:Oxytocin