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Abstract
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.
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.
Oxytocin improved performance on the RMET compared with placebo. This effect was pronounced
for difficult compared with easy items.
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.