Oxytocin Infusion Reduces Repetitive
Behaviors Hollander E,
Novotny S, Hanratty M, Yaffe R, DeCaria CM, Aronowitz BR, Mosovich S Abstract: Neuropsychopharmacology. 2003 Jan;28(1):193-8. Findings Autism is a developmental disorder of the
nervous system that shows abnormalities in three core behavioral areas:
repetitive behaviors, social deficits, and language abnormalities. Repetitive
behaviors include compulsive behaviors,
unusual attachments to objects, rigid adherence to routines or rituals,
and repetitive motor mannerisms such as self stimulation. Social deficits
include lack of eye contact, reduced ability to carry on a conversation,
reduced interaction skills. Research suggests that certain protein substances
normally found in the brain—oxytocin
and vasopressin—may contribute to
these behaviors as well as social deficits. Further research evidence
supporting this theory has shown that the nervous system pathways that
control the normal release of these substances is abnormal in individuals
with autism and Asperger’s disorder. While oxytocin is known to cause uterine contractions
during labor, recent research suggests that oxytocin and vasopressin also
play a role in developing normal cognition and particularly, social behavior.
These two peptides also have been linked to social learning and behavior
in rats and monkeys. Particularly, oxytocin is important in the retention
of newly formed memories and is critical for learning associations such
as smells of things. In this study, the authors examined the effects of oxytocin on repetitive behaviors in 15 adults with autism or Asperger's disorder (mean age 32.9 years). Each patient received by intravenous infusion oxytocin or placebo on separate visits every 2-3 weeks to determine the effect of the drug; the study was double-blind, meaning neither the patient nor the doctor knew whether the active oxytocin agent or a placebo was being given. The researchers measured six repetitive behaviors in the patient: the need to know, repeating, ordering, need to tell/ask, self-injury, and touching. Patients with autism spectrum disorders showed a significant reduction in repetitive behaviors after infusion with oxytocin as compared with placebo influsion. Conclusions The results suggest that dysfunction of the oxytocin system might contribute to characteristics of autistic disorder beyond those of the social dimension, strengthening the theory that a disruption in the oxytocin system plays a role in the etiology of autism. The results must be viewed with caution, as a small number of adult patients were studied and other behaviors such as social behaviors were not investigated. The authors suggest that further studies including larger numbers of patients in various age ranges with additional outcome measurements are needed to understand possible mechanisms by which oxytocin infusion leads to behavioral changes such as those demonstrated in this study. Also, because this study was done with adults, no conclusions about the administration of oxytocin can be made in childhood autism spectrum disorders. Despite the limiations, the results show that oxytocin may have clinical importance in ASD and further studies are needed to understand its use in treatment.
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