“Love is the Drug” for Autism

‘Love hormone’ may reduce autism symptoms

NEW YORK, Dec. 28 (UPI) — The “love hormone,” released at childbirth and during sex, is being used in a U.S. trial of young adults with autism spectrum disorders, researchers say.

Dr. Eric Hollander, the center’s advisory board chairman and chairman of the psychiatry at the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, says giving oxytocin may improve social functioning and repetitive behaviors — irrespective of the age of the patient.

“For the first time, certain core systems of autism may respond to treatment,” Hollander says in a statement.

In the trial, autistic patients age 18 and older, who were given oxytocin nasally for 12 weeks significantly reduced their repetitive behavior, and were better able to recognize anger or happiness in the tone of a speaker’s voice. Upbeat results were also provided in a similar age group who took the peptide intravenously, the study said. Autism spectrum disorders refers to a group of symptoms, like a profound inability to communicate and other developmental disorders.

Oxytocin is a mammalian hormone that also acts as a neurotransmitter in the brain.

It is best known for its roles in female reproduction: it is released in large amounts after distension of the cervix and vagina during labor, and after stimulation of the nipples, facilitating birth and breastfeeding, respectively. Recent studies have begun to investigate oxytocin’s role in various behaviors, including orgasm, social recognition, pair bonding, anxiety, trust, love, and maternal behaviors.