The Effects Of Oxytocin On Social Cognition - 1509 Words

The effects of oxytocin on social cognition in schizophrenia Tonya English Chamberlain College of Nursing NR 320: Mental Health May 2015 The effects of oxytocin on social cognition in schizophrenia â€Å"Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness associated with substantial social and occupational dysfunction. While positive psychotic symptoms of schizophrenia often respond to anti- psychotic medications, negative symptoms and cognitive impairments are difficult to treat, necessitating novel interventions† (Davis et al., 2013). This article looks deeper at social cognition. Social cognition can be defined as the mental operations that underlie social interactions, including perceiving, interpreting, and generating responses to the†¦show more content†¦OT is a nine-amino acid peptide that, in addition to its role in the periphery for regulating lactation and uterine contractions, functions centrally as a neurotransmitter involved in multiple aspects of social behavior. Given the role of OT in social behavior, and the prominent deficits in social functioning in schizophrenia, a handful of studies have ex amined the OT system in schizophrenia. Patients with schizophrenia may have altered baseline levels of OT that correlate with symptoms. Specifically, it has been found that lower levels of baseline plasma OT predict negative symptoms and also predict the ability of patients with schizophrenia to identify facial expressions† (Davis et al., 2013). In this study, the participants used were twenty-four males between the ages of 18 and 56. They were brought from the VA Greater LA Healthcare System (VAGLAHS) and they met the DSM criteria for schizophrenia. â€Å"Subjects were clinically stable as indicated by: no psychiatric hospitalizations in the past 6 months; adherent to antipsychotic medication with dosages not varying by 25% over 3 months prior to participation; at least 6 months since any indication of potential danger to self or others; no acute medical problems; and chronic medical conditions consistently treated and stable for 3 months. Exclusion criteria were mental retardation; treatment with