Affiliations: Institut für Medizinische Psychologie und
Verhaltensneurobiologie, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen,
Silcherstraße 5, Tübingen. Tel.: +49 7071 29-75567; Fax: Fax: +49
7071 29-295593; E-mail: matthias.thienel@medizin.uni-tuebingen.de
Abstract: The neuropeptides oxytocin (OXT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) are
strongly involved in the regulation of social cognition and behavior.
Behavioral studies in humans relying on the intranasal administration of the
peptides demonstrate the influence of OXT and AVP on social interactions,
e.g., attachment, interpersonal trust, and cooperative behavior, as well as
emotion recognition, visual attention and social memory, indicating that OXT
and AVP contribute to the processing of social cues. Clinical studies suggest
that altered OXT signaling in particular may play a pathophysiological role in
mental and developmental disorders characterized by social dysfunction, such as
autism, borderline personality disorder, schizophrenia, and social anxiety
disorder. This article summarizes recent findings on OXT and AVP effects in
healthy humans and patients and addresses potential therapeutical options in
the treatment of mental disorders.
Keywords: oxytocin, vasopressin, behavioral studies, social interaction, autism, borderline personality disorder, schizophrenia, social anxiety disorder, clinical intervention
