Journal article
Sniff and mimic — Intranasal oxytocin increases facial mimicry in a sample of men
Hormones and behavior, Vol.84, pp.64-74
08/2016
DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.06.003
PMID: 27283377
Abstract
The neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) has many potential social benefits. For example, intranasal administration of OT appears to trigger caregiving behavior and to improve the recognition of emotional facial expressions. But the mechanism for these effects is not yet clear. Recent findings relating OT to action imitation and to the visual processing of the eye region of faces point to mimicry as a mechanism through which OT improves processing of emotional expression. To test the hypothesis that increased levels of OT in the brain enhance facial mimicry, 60 healthy male participants were administered, in a double-blind between-subjects design, 24 international units (IUs) of OT or placebo (PLA) through nasal spray. Facial mimicry and emotion judgments were recorded in response to movie clips depicting changing facial expressions. As expected, facial mimicry was increased in the OT group, but effects were strongest for angry infant faces. These findings provide further evidence for the importance of OT in social cognitive skills, and suggest that facial mimicry mediates the effects of OT on improved emotion recognition.
•Facial mimicry is increased after administration of 24IU of oxytocin to healthy males.•Effects most pronounced for stimuli of anger in infant faces•Facial mimicry could mediate the effects of OT on improved emotion recognition.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Sniff and mimic — Intranasal oxytocin increases facial mimicry in a sample of men
- Creators
- Sebastian Korb - Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, Campus Biotech, 9 Chemin des Mines, 1202 Geneva, SwitzerlandJennifer Malsert - Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, Campus Biotech, 9 Chemin des Mines, 1202 Geneva, SwitzerlandLane Strathearn - Stead Family Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa, 213F CDD Center for Disabilities and Development, 100 Hawkins Dr, Iowa City, IA 52246, USAPatrik Vuilleumier - Department of Fundamental Neurosciences, University of Geneva, 1 rue Michel-Servet, 1205 Geneva, SwitzerlandPaula Niedenthal - Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin, 1202 West Johnson street, Madison, WI 53706, USA
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Hormones and behavior, Vol.84, pp.64-74
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.06.003
- PMID
- 27283377
- NLM abbreviation
- Horm Behav
- ISSN
- 0018-506X
- eISSN
- 1095-6867
- Publisher
- Elsevier Inc
- Grant note
- DOI: 10.13039/501100001711, name: Swiss National Science Foundation, award: PBGEP1-139870; DOI: 10.13039/100000001, name: National Science Foundation and by a grant from Open Research Area, award: BCS-1251101, ANR-10-ORAR-010-01
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 08/2016
- Academic Unit
- Psychiatry; Stead Family Department of Pediatrics; Iowa Neuroscience Institute; Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics; Neuroscience and Pharmacology
- Record Identifier
- 9984040259302771
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