Autism and Oxytocin

The hormone oxytocin is released in the brain during sexual intercourse and social connection, and it increases neuronal signals that aid in the recognition of facial expressions for distinguishing different emotions.

New research, published in the journal Translational Psychiatry, suggests that individuals suffering from conditions such as autism and schizophrenia could benefit from oxytocin supplementation, and a nasal spray would act much faster and be less invasive than an intravenous route.

Researchers from the University of Oslo, Norway, partnered with OptiNose, in Yardley, Pennsylvania, to test the company's device. Forbes reported on how the clinical trial was designed:

The trial enrolled 16 healthy adult volunteers and evaluated two different doses of oxytocin and the perception of their effects on social signals. Each man underwent four single-dose treatments: a placebo dose, a low dose of oxytocin, a high dose of oxytocin, and an intravenous dose of oxytocin. The intravenous dose was used to compare the effects of oxytocin in the circulating blood. After each dose, participants were then presented with 20 female and 20 male faces displaying angry, happy, and emotionally ambiguous expressions and were asked to identify how angry or happy they appeared.

Dosing is a very important part of this potential treatment. University of Oslo professor and study author, Ole Andreassen, stated in a press release: “Very high doses of oxytocin could, in fact, have the opposite effect on social behavior.”

More research needs to be done to determine how effective this is for those with mental illness. But interestingly, last year, Stanford researchers published a study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, concluding that children with autism did not have lower blood oxytocin levels than other children. Therefore, the treatment remains uncertain.

We will continue to study and monitor; EACH CASE MUST BE INDIVIDUALIZED.

Source: https://medcitynews.com/2015/09/oxytocin-hormonal-nasal-spray-could-provide-health-benefits-to-those-with-mental-illness/

This content is part of Clínica Revitalize's commitment to translating science into accessible clinical practice — without losing rigor or depth.