Oxytocin Modulates Eye Gaze Behavior During Social Processing

Oxytocin Modulates Eye Gaze Behavior During Social Processing and Associations With Trait Autism

The main aim of the study is to examine whether the effects of intranasal oxytocin on eye-gaze behavior towards social stimuli are modulated via individual differences in trait autism

In this double-blind, within subject, placebo controlled design a total of n = 40 healthy male subjects will receive either 24 IU of oxytocin or placebo (interval between administration > two weeks). 45 minutes after treatment subjects will undergo a total of 7 eye-tracking paradigms examining eye-gaze behavior during social processing: (1) dynamic social-nonsocial visual preference task during which movies of dynamic geometric images (DGI) and dynamic social images (DSI) will be presented; (2) non-biological versus biological motion task; (3) social attention and motivation of sharing enjoyment; (4) preference for emotional faces versus schematic faces (emoticons); (5) shared social attention - shared gaze direction with an actor shifting his attention to different objects; (6) preferred visual scanning of face regions in emotional faces; and, (7) eye gaze in response to empathy eliciting visual stimuli. Autistic and associated traits will be assessed using the Autism Spectrum Quotient (ASQ), Social Responsibilities Scale (SRS) and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). Within-subject differences in the effects of oxytocin on social eye gazing behaviour will be related to individual differences in autistic traits.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy subjects without any past or present psychiatric or neurological disorders

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of brain injury
• Visual impairments
• Use of medication
• Contraindications for oxytocin administration