Intranasal oxytocin treatment for social deficits and biomarkers of response in children with autism

Abstract

Significance Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by social deficits. Emerging evidence suggests that the neuropeptide oxytocin, which regulates mammalian social functioning, may be a promising treatment for ASD. However, prior oxytocin treatment trials in ASD patients have produced equivocal results, perhaps because of variability in patients’ underlying neuropeptide biology. Here we provide evidence that oxytocin treatment improves social abilities in children with ASD and that individuals with the lowest pretreatment blood oxytocin concentrations benefit the most from oxytocin administration. These findings reveal a personalized component to oxytocin treatment which may have important implications for accurately testing oxytocin’s therapeutic potential, both for ASD and for a broad range of developmental and psychiatric disorders in which patients exhibit social impairments.