title: Intranasal oxytocin versus placebo in the treatment of adults with autism spectrum disorders: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are no effective medications for the treatment of social cognition/function deficits in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and adult intervention literature in this area is sparse. Emerging data from animal models and genetic association studies as well as early, single-dose intervention studies suggest that the oxytocin system may be a potential therapeutic target for social cognition/function deficits in ASD. The primary aim of this study was to examine the safety/therapeutic effects of intranasal oxytocin versus placebo in adults with ASD, with respect to the two core symptom domains of social cognition/functioning and repetitive behaviors.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a pilot, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel design trial of intranasal oxytocin versus placebo in 19 adults with ASD (16 males; 33.20 ± 13.29 years). Subjects were randomized to 24 IU intranasal oxytocin or placebo in the morning and afternoon for 6 weeks. Measures of social function/cognition (the Diagnostic Analysis of Nonverbal Accuracy) and repetitive behaviors (Repetitive Behavior Scale Revised) were administered. Secondary measures included the Social Responsiveness Scale, Reading-the-Mind-in-the-Eyes Test and the Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale - compulsion subscale and quality of life (World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire - emotional/social subscales). Full-information maximum-likelihood parameter estimates were obtained and tested using mixed-effects regression analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although no significant changes were detected in the primary outcome measures after correcting for baseline differences, results suggested improvements after 6 weeks in measures of social cognition (Reading-the-Mind-in-the-Eyes Test, p = 0.002, d = 1.2), and quality of life (World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire - emotion, p = 0.031, d = 0.84), both secondary measures. Oxytocin was well tolerated and no serious adverse effects were reported.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This pilot study suggests that there is therapeutic potential to daily administration of intranasal oxytocin in adults with ASD and that larger and longer studies are warranted.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  NCT00490802.
authors.affiliation: Mount Sinai School of Medicine, One Gustave L, Levy Place, New York, NY 10029-6574, USA. eanagnostou@hollandbloorview.ca.
authors.forename: Evdokia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Anagnostou
authors.forename: Latha
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authors.lastname: Soorya
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chaplin
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bartz
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Halpern
authors.forename: Stacey
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wasserman
authors.forename: A Ting
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Lauren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pepa
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tanel
authors.forename: Azadeh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kushki
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hollander