Oxytocin Treatment of Social Cognitive and Functional Deficits in Schizophrenia

Inclusion Criteria: * 18-65 yrs of age; * currently meeting DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder with onset occurring \> 1 year prior to enrollment in the study; * score of \<24 on the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test ("Eyes Test", Baron-Cohen, et al 2001), which represents 0.5 SD below the mean in a large normative sample OR * get a minimum score of "3" on at least two of the following "social" items on the PANSS ratings: suspiciousness/persecution (ideation), hostility, passive/apathetic social withdrawal, uncooperativeness, active social avoidance, * stable symptoms as well as being on the same medication and psychosocial therapy regimen for \> 1 month. Exclusion Criteria: * current or lifetime history of schizoaffective (bipolar type), delusional, other psychotic (shared, substance-induced, due to a medical disorder) disorders, bipolar, cyclothymic, somatoform, dissociative, eating or personality disorders, unipolar major depressive episodes with psychotic features, dementia; * history of mania or hypomania within the past two years * substance use or abuse disorder during the past 3 months (except tobacco, caffeine); * treatment currently or within the past 6 months with high dose sedative-hypnotics, stimulants, chronic glucocorticoids (other medications that are adequately controlling acute or chronic disorders \[e.g., hypertension, diabetes, hypo or hyperthyroidism, asthma, allergies, mild infections etc.\] are allowed); * debilitating or i…