, 2010 and Petrovic et al., 2008), and it is likely that increased activity in this region might underpin the heightened recognition performance in the oxytocin condition reported here. In addition, several investigations have provided evidence that the amygdala might have a critical

role in the mediation of the socio-cognitive Selisistat nmr effects of oxytocin (Domes et al., 2007, Kirsch et al., 2005 and Petrovic et al., 2008), and it is of note that this neural structure is thought to be part of the extended face processing system that acts in concert with the core system (Haxby et al., 2000). A second novel finding reported here is that, in the DP participants, oxytocin improved the perception of facial identity in a face matching task. To our knowledge this is the first evidence that oxytocin can improve face perception in any participant group, providing further insight into the locus of the effects of the hormone.

However, neuroimaging work examining the influence of oxytocin on face perception is required. Indeed, while it is plausible that enhanced fusiform activity promotes performance on both face memory and face perception tasks, it is currently unknown whether oxytocin can also promote activity in neural structures implicated in earlier stages of the face processing network, such as the OFA (although modulation in occipital areas was noted by Domes et al., 2010). Nevertheless, we can speculate that our findings imply that oxytocin acts upon neural structures that are open to modulation even in DP, despite possible abnormalities in these areas (see Garrido et al., 2009, Hasson et al., 2003 and Thomas et al., 2009). When selleck chemicals considering the influence of oxytocin on facial perception, it is pertinent to examine each individual DP’s neuropsychological background

in relation to their improvement in the oxytocin condition. Indeed, while all DPs have a deficit in face recognition, an impairment in the perception of facial identity (i.e., when no demands are placed on memory) is not necessary for a diagnosis of the condition. This is one example of the heterogeneity of DP, and either it is of note that only two participants (DP1 and DP8) in our sample were impaired on the CFPT in the initial diagnostic session. Although no overall correlation was noted between initial CFPT performance and level of improvement on the face matching test, it is relevant that oxytocin brought about one of the largest improvements on this test in DP1, although DP8 did not show any improvement. In addition, DP7 and DP10 presented with some difficulties in lower-level vision on tests of the BORB in the diagnostic session, although their CFPT scores were in the normal range. Unfortunately DP7′s data were lost for the CFMT in the placebo condition, but he displayed a small improvment in the matching test in the oxytocin condition. DP10 displayed very little improvement on both tests in the oxytocin condition.