title: Do blood plasma levels of oxytocin moderate the effect of nasally administered oxytocin on social orienting in high-functioning male adults with autism spectrum disorder?
abstract: The study investigated whether baseline plasma oxytocin (OXT) concentrations might moderate the effects of nasally administered OXT on social orienting.
  
  
  
  Thirty-one males with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and thirty healthy males participated in a double-blind placebo-controlled crossover trial. After administration of the compound, participants were viewing pictures from the International Affective Picture System that represented a systematic variation of pleasant, unpleasant and neutral scenes with and without humans. The outcome measures were a cardiac evoked response (ECR) and a cortical evoked long latency parietal positivity (LPP).
  
  
  
  Males with ASD had significantly higher plasma baseline levels than the controls. In the absence of general treatment effects, higher baseline concentrations were found to be associated with larger treatment effects, particularly in the group of males with ASD. Higher post-treatment plasma OXT concentrations were found to be associated with smaller treatment effects and larger orienting responses in the placebo situation in the group of controls.
  
  
  
  We interpret our findings as suggesting that it is the central availability of OXT determining how much of the nasally administered OXT will become centrally absorbed and how much of it will become released into the bloodstream.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child- and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ, Groningen, The Netherlands. m.althaus@accare.nl.
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Althaus
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Developmental Neuropsychology, University of Groningen, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, 9712 TS, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Yvonne
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Groen
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Work Psychology, University of Groningen, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, 9712 TS, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Albertus
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: A Wijers
authors.affiliation: Lentis, Autism Team of the North of the Netherlands (ATN), Laan Corpus den Hoorn 102-2, 9728 JR, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Henriette
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Noltes
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Developmental Neuropsychology, University of Groningen, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, 9712 TS, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Tucha
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein 8, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Fred C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Sweep
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioral Physiology, University of Groningen, Nijenborg 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Calcagnoli
authors.affiliation: Department of Child- and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Pieter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Hoekstra
mesh_terms: D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D002491:Central Nervous System Agents / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004644:Emotions / Q000187:drug effects*; D004645:Empathy / Q000187:drug effects; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009949:Orientation / Q000187:drug effects*; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000187:drug effects; D012919:Social Behavior; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002491:Central Nervous System Agents; D010121:Oxytocin
keywords: Autism spectrum disorder; Baseline plasma oxytocin; Electrocortical and cardiac evoked responses; Post-oxytocin treatment plasma oxytocin; Social orienting