Promoting social behavior with oxytocin in high-functioning autism spectrum disorders.
Social adaptation requires specific cognitive and emotional competences. Individuals with high-functioning autism or with Asperger syndrome cannot understand or engage in social situations despite preserved intellectual abilities. Recently, it has been suggested that oxytocin, a hormone known to promote mother-infant bonds, may be implicated in the social deficit of autism. We investigated the behavioral effects of oxytocin in 13 subjects with autism. In a simulated ball game where participants interacted with fictitious partners, we found that after oxytocin inhalation, patients exhibited stronger interactions with the most socially cooperative partner and reported enhanced feelings of trust and preference. Also, during free viewing of pictures of faces, oxytocin selectively increased patients' gazing time on the socially informative region of the face, namely the eyes. Thus, under oxytocin, patients respond more strongly to others and exhibit more appropriate social behavior and affect, suggesting a therapeutic potential of oxytocin through its action on a core dimension of autism.
Centre de Neuroscience Cognitive, Unité Mixte de Recherche 5229, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 69675 Bron, France.
Elissar
E
Andari
Jean-René
JR
Duhamel
Tiziana
T
Zalla
Evelyn
E
Herbrecht
Marion
M
Leboyer
Angela
A
Sirigu
D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D004644:Emotions / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012919:Social Behavior; D055815:Young Adult
D010121:Oxytocin