Cited by 80Neuroendocrine regulation and behaviorFace Recognition and PerceptionPrimate Behavior and Ecology

Oxytocin enhances attention to the eye region in rhesus monkeys

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Dal Monte, Olga, Noble, Pamela L., Costa, Vincent D., Averbeck, Bruno B.·2014·Frontiers in Neuroscience

Abstract

Human and non-human primates rely on the ability to perceive and interpret facial expressions to guide effective social interactions. The neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) has been shown to have a critical role in the perception of social cues, and in humans to increase the number of saccades to the eye region. To develop a useful primate model for the effects of OT on information processing, we investigated the influence of OT on gaze behavior during face processing in rhesus macaques. Forty-five minutes after a single intranasal dose of either 24IU OT or saline, monkeys completed a free-viewing task during which they viewed pictures of conspecifics displaying one of three facial expressions (neutral, open-mouth threat or bared-teeth) for 5 s. The monkey was free to explore the face on the screen while the pattern of eye movements was recorded. OT did not increase overall fixations to the face compared to saline. Rather, when monkeys freely viewed conspecific faces, OT increased fixations to the eye region relative to the mouth region. This effect of OT was particularly pronounced when face position on the screen was manipulated so that the eye region was not the first facial feature seen by the monkeys. Together these findings are consistent with prior evidence in humans that intranasal administration of OT specifically enhances visual attention to the eye region compared to other informative facial features, thus validating the use of non-human primates to mechanistically explore how OT modulates social information processing and behavior.

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Authors
Dal Monte, O., Noble, P. L., Costa, V. D., & Averbeck, B. B.
Affiliations
National Institutes of Health (US)
Corresponding author
Averbeck, Bruno B.
Venue
Frontiers in Neuroscience
Published
2014
Volume
8
Pages
41-41
ISSN
1662-453X (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W1978862899
Cited by
80
References
57
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 5 · 2012: 1
FWCI
13.31
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • Frontiers in Neuroscience (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Institutional Research Information System University of Turin (University of Turin) (submittedVersion)
Funders
National Institute of Mental Health
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Face Recognition and Perception
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Primate Behavior and Ecology
Keywords
oxytocin, gaze behavior, face processing, facial expressions, rhesus monkeys, social information processing, intranasal administration, fixation, saccades, nonhuman primate model

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