Table 3.

The Social Role of Oxytocin

Oxytocin regulates the activity of mirror neurons,91,92 a group of sensorimotor neurons that fire not only when the individual performs an action but also when the individual passively observes another agent doing a comparable action. According to Ho et al.,92 oxytocin regulates a complex neurohormonal network involved in mentalization, attention and mirroring (oriented at perception–action integration), and emotional modulation93 that plays a critical role in bio-behavioral synchrony.94 When engaged by oxytocin, such a network has a socioattentive function that increases the relevance of the social context and the planning of collaborative activities.92 Furthermore, oxytocin appears to have a significant role in affecting the functioning of the anterior cingulate cortex and its projections to the nucleus accumbens, a circuit directly engaged in the development of empathetic reactions.95,96

To summarize, oxytocin regulates attention-orienting reactions to external contextual cues, boosting the motivational relevance of relevant persons and facilitating any cooperative conduct that involves them.23