New treatment for social problems in autism? Oxytocin improves emotion recognition
Oxytocin
is a hormone that has effects on brain function. Although it is best
known for its role in facilitating labor, delivery, and breast-feeding,
it is also important in promoting trust, love, and social recognition.
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| oxytocin-neurophysin
complex based on: "Crystal structure of the neurophysin-oxytocin
complex" Rose, J.P., Wu, C.K., Hsiao, C.D., Breslow, E., Wang, B.C.
(1996) Nat.Struct.Biol. 3: 163-169 (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
In a new study in
Biological Psychiatry,
published by Elsevier, Australian autism experts recruited adolescents
with ASDs. Using a rigorous study design, they administered a single
dose each of oxytocin and placebo via a nasal spray, received one week
apart. Both times, the subjects were asked to complete a facial
expression task that measures emotion recognition.
Compared to
administration of the placebo spray, the subjects' performance on the
task was improved when they received the oxytocin spray.
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| English:
A dramatic photo shot of nasal spray in action. A hand sprays a mist of
nasal spray droplets on a black background. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
These findings provide the first evidence that "a
brief and simple intervention can improve emotion understanding in
autism, or in fact any clinical disorder associated with social
dysfunction. It is also the first to show the benefits of oxytocin
nasal spray in young people, suggesting potential for earlier
intervention where there may be greater opportunity to improve
development," explained author Dr. Adam Guastella. "This study,
therefore, makes an important advance with the longer-term hope that
oxytocin could be used to improve social function in everyday settings
for clinical disorders associated with social dysfunction."
Since
this was a relatively small study, additional research is still needed
to confirm these promising findings and further evaluate oxytocin as a
potential treatment. Until then, the authors advise against the use of
oxytocin outside of supervised clinical trial research.
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