Medicine and Health

Oxytocin and vasopressin in the human brain: social neuropeptides for translational medicine

A. Meyer-lindenberg, G. Domes, et al.

The neuropeptides oxytocin (OXT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) are evolutionarily conserved regulators of complex social cognition and behaviour. Recent studies examined their effects on human social interaction, genetic sources of individual differences, and brain mechanisms via neuroimaging, highlighting OXT and AVP as promising targets—particularly alongside psychotherapy—for treating autism, social anxiety disorder, borderline personality disorder and schizophrenia. Research conducted by Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg, Gregor Domes, Peter Kirsch, and Markus Heinrichs.