Oxytocin Helps Autistic Children to Become Social

There is a potential new treatment for children with autism spectrum disorders which comes in to the form of a nasal spray which may help, according to a new study released Monday.

Researchers at Yale University have discovered that children who received a single dose of an oxytocin-based nasal spray showed an increase in activity in regions of the brain which regulates social behavior.  According to the study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers wanted to find out about the role of oxytocin in autistic children, who are often alone and have trouble bonding with others. 

The study found that children who received a single dose of an oxytocin-based nasal spray experienced enhanced activity in regions of the brain regulating social behavior. The researchers set up a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 17 children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. The study participants, who were between the ages of 8 and 16, underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, to show how the children's brains reacted to various stimuli after receiving both the oxytocin and placebo sprays.

Kevin Pelphrey, head of the Center for Translational Developmental Neuroscience at Yale, led the study.  He hopes longer treatment with oxytocin leads to changes in behavior.

"These results may imply that oxytocin makes social stimuli more rewarding and socially salient to children with autism spectrum disorder," the authors wrote. Citing oxytocin research on animals, the authors speculated that when a shot of oxytocin hits the autistic brain, it boosts the "signal-to-noise" ratio in regions that make sense of our social world, and makes positive social interaction easier and more pleasant.

"We would expect the kids to be more socially engaged, make more eye contact, understand sort of subtle social advances more clearly and be more interested in interacting with other people," said Pelphrey.