In this study, investigators will examine the behavioral effects and neurophysiological
mechanisms of the pro-social neuropeptide oxytocin in patients with recent-onset
schizophrenia. Such research is a necessary first step towards identifying whether intranasal
oxytocin administration can serve as an adjunct treatment for social impairments in
schizophrenia.
Aim 1: To examine the effects of exogenous oxytocin on patterns of neural activation as
measured by fMRI during a well-characterized affect-labeling task in patients with
recent-onset schizophrenia and healthy comparison subjects.
Hypothesis A: Patients will exhibit amygdalar hyperactivity and PNS hypo-activity when
passively viewing faces, which will be normalized by administration of oxytocin.
Hypothesis B: Patients will exhibit hypo-activity of the vPFC when affectively labeling faces
and this hypo-activity will be normalized by oxytocin administration.