Hormone Infused Nasal Spray Found to Help People With Autism
By Rob Stein
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
A nasal spray containing a hormone that is known to make
women more maternal (Interesting, who knew of
such a thing.) and men less shy apparently can help those with autism make eye contact and
interact better with others, according to a provocative study
released Monday. (Atleast the application effect of
this medication makes some sense
The study, involving 13 adults with either a
high-functioning form of autism or Asperger syndrome, a mild form of the
disorder, found that when the subjects inhaled the hormone oxytocin, they
scored significantly better on a test that involved recognizing faces and
performed much better in a game that involved tossing a ball with others.
Although more research is needed to confirm and
explore the findings, the results are the latest in a growing body of evidence
indicating that the hormone could lead to ways to help people with the often
devastating brain disorder function better.
"This is the first study that looked at
whether oxytocin has an effect on social behavior, which is a major deficit in
autism," said Angela Sirigu, who directs the
Researchers who were not involved in the study
praised the work, saying the findings were promising and could lead to the
first effective treatment for the central problems affecting people with
autism.
"I think it's going to be a very exciting
finding for a lot of people," said Alex Martin, chief of cognitive
neuropsychology at the National Institute of Mental Health.
Because oxytocin does not last long in the body and
produces its effects for a relatively brief period, some experts said the
findings were more likely to encourage drug companies to develop alternative
substances that had the same benefits.
"This paper suggests that's worth doing,"
said Thomas R. Insel, director of the institute. "It adds another brick in
the wall that suggests there may be an opportunity to develop treatment for one
of the core symptoms of autism. That's been the brass ring."
But Sirigu was among those who said the finding
should encourage more research on the potential benefits of oxytocin itself,
especially for children. Administering the hormone soon after a child's autism
is diagnosed might help him or her develop more normally, she said.
"It's possible it can become a cure, if it's
given early when the problems are detected in the little kids," Sirigu
said. "We can change the way these patients interact with people from
childhood."
Because previous research has indicated that some
people with autism might have abnormally low levels of oxytocin, conducting
tests to identify those people and administering them the hormone might help as
well, said Karen Parker, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Stanford
University School of Medicine.
"If you can find someone who appears to have
deficits in oxytocin biology, giving them what you might argue would be
replacement oxytocin may be helpful," Parker said.
Autism is a baffling disorder that can cause a
variety of symptoms, including speech and learning problems and profound,
disabling difficulties understanding emotions and social cues when interacting
with people. The number of children found to have autism has been increasing
for reasons that remain mysterious.
Oxytocin is produced naturally in the bodies of
humans and animals. It plays a key role in social interaction, promoting
maternal behavior and monogamy in animals. The hormone also heightens social
sensitivity, social awareness, generosity and trust in people.
Previous
"All the data seem to suggest that
manipulating the oxytocin system has a powerful effect on the core symptoms of
autism," said Eric Hollander, director of the compulsive, impulsive and
autism spectrum disorders program at the
While cautioning that more research is needed on
children and additional patients to make sure oxytocin is safe and effective,
advocates for families with children with autism welcomed the findings.
Oxytocin has been in use for several years as an "alternative"
therapy for autism.
"Many families are using it with success and
reporting improvement," said Wendy Fournier, president of the National
Autism Association. "Getting double-blind clinical studies like this one
published helps to bring credibility to parental reports."
"We need to be mindful of the fact that the
majority of human studies of oxytocin have been conducted using adults,
including this study, and only one paper has included individuals between the
ages of 12 and 18. We have to be careful about the safety and efficacy of
oxytocin on pediatric populations," said Clara Lajonchere, vice president
of clinical programs for Autism Speaks.