Vasopressin selectively impairs emotion recognition in men

Florina Uzefovsky, Idan Shalev, Salomon Israel, Ariel Knafo, Richard P. Ebstein

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

69 Scopus citations

Abstract

The biological mechanisms underlying empathy, the ability to recognize emotions and to respond to them appropriately, are only recently becoming better understood. This report focuses on the nonapeptide arginine-vasopressin (AVP), which plays an important role in modulating social behavior in animals, especially promoting aggressive behavior. Towards clarifying the role of AVP in human social perception we used the Reading of the Mind in the Eyes Test and intranasal administration of AVP to show that AVP leads to a significant decrease in emotion recognition. Moreover, when comparing photos of males vs. females, all viewed by males, AVP had an effect on gender-matched photos only. Furthermore, the effect of AVP was restricted to recognition of negative emotions while leaving recognition of positive emotions unaffected. The current report emphasizes the selective role of AVP in male emotional perception and empathy, a core element in all human social interactions.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)576-580
Number of pages5
JournalPsychoneuroendocrinology
Volume37
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Apr 2012
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Emotion recognition
  • Empathy
  • Intranasal
  • Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test
  • Vasopressin

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
  • Endocrinology
  • Endocrine and Autonomic Systems
  • Psychiatry and Mental health
  • Biological Psychiatry

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Vasopressin selectively impairs emotion recognition in men'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this