Links between the oxytocin receptor gene and human ability to understand others' thoughts

The variant rs2228485 in the oxytocin receptor gene is associated with an increased number of incorrect answers in a facial emotion recognition test.

• A total of 76 healthy adolescents and young adults were assessed for genetic associations with social recognition.
• The association between rs2228485 and incorrect evaluations of male faces was statistically significant after corrections for multiple comparisons.
• Other variants, rs53576 and rs2254298, showed associations with different aspects of social recognition, though not all were statistically significant after corrections.
• Findings suggest that genetic variations in the oxytocin receptor gene may influence mind-reading abilities and social behavior.

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