Understanding Oxytocin's Neural and Behavioral Effects in Adolescents Diagnosed With Autism

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2019-10-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: Male

Summary

The investigators explored the neural and behavioral effect of oxytocin on youth with Autism spectrum disorder using magnetoencephalography (MEG). The investigators hypothesize that oxytocin will modulate neural activity to resemble patterns observed in the age-matched control group.

Thirty-two adolescents with autism and 26 typically developing adolescents participated in this randomized, double-blind MEG study. Individuals with autism arrived at the lab twice and received an acute dose of intranasal oxytocin or placebo in each session. During the scans, participants were asked to complete several tasks related to social perception - such as identification of social and non-social stimuli.

• Phase: N/A
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Prof. Ilanit gordon
• Treatments: Oxytocin

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Males, aged 12-18 years

• Native Hebrew speakers

• Normal or corrected-to-normal vision

• Participants in the ASD group had to meet the criteria for ASD in the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-5)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Chronic medical problems

• Cardiovascular risk factors

• CNS disease

• Other mental illnesses

• Use of prohibited medications

• Mental retardation

• Impaired vision

• Impaired hearing

• History of significant head injury or neurological illness

• Current substance dependence diagnosis

• Metallic implants, braces or devices in the body