title: Enhanced orienting of attention in response to emotional gaze cues after oxytocin administration in healthy young men.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Oxytocin is known to enhance recognition of emotional expressions and may increase attention to the eye region. Therefore, we investigated whether oxytocin administration would lead to increased orienting of attention in response to gaze cues of emotional faces.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a randomized placebo-controlled double-blind crossover study 20 healthy males received 24 IU of oxytocin or placebo. Thirty-five minutes after administration they performed a gaze cueing task with happy, fearful and neutral faces. Stress levels were measured throughout the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Oxytocin did not affect stress levels during the study, but significantly increased gaze cueing scores for happy and fearful expressions compared to placebo. No effects were found for neutral expressions. Trait anxiety or depression did not moderate the effect.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oxytocin increases orienting of attention in response to emotional gaze cues, both for happy and fearful expressions. Replication is needed in female and clinical populations. Effects of oxytocin on early, automatic processing levels should be studied in relation to previously found pro-social and behavioral effects of oxytocin.
authors.affiliation: Leiden University, Clinical, Health and Neuropsychology Unit, Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands. Electronic address: m.s.tollenaar@fsw.leidenuniv.nl.
authors.forename: Marieke S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Tollenaar
authors.forename: Michaela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chatzimanoli
authors.forename: Nic J A
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: van der Wee
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Putman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D001007:Anxiety; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D003463:Cues; D003863:Depression; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004644:Emotions; D005149:Facial Expression; D005239:Fear; D006240:Happiness; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry; D012938:Social Perception; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D010121:Oxytocin; D006854:Hydrocortisone
keywords: Attention; Cueing score; Emotion; Fear; Gaze cue; Oxytocin; Social salience