Althaus, Monika

Balkom, van, Ingrid D. C.

Groen, Yvonne

Hoekstra, Pieter J.

Oosterhoff, Menno

English

Background: Oxytocin is considered as the hormone of calm, healing and love, and it plays an important role in establishing and maintaining social relationships. As autism is characterized by difficulties in social relationships, a dysregulated oxytocin system could possibly be an underlying factor. Aim: To investigate treatment effects of oxytocin in adults with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) on affective empathy.Methods: A randomized placebo-controlled cross-over trial investigated the effects of oxytocin nasal spray on oxytocin blood levels and affective empathy in young men with autism (n = 32) and neurotypicals (n = 30). Brain responses (EEG Event Related Potentials) and cardiac evoked responses (ECG) were recorded while participants viewed (IAPS) pictures with or without humans. Blood samples were taken before and after taking the nasal spray in order to validate absorption.Results: Surprisingly, we found evidence for enhanced blood levels of oxytocin at baseline in high functioning males with autism, especially in those with high intelligence. Oxytocin nasal spray induced a tenfold increase in blood levels in males with and without autism. Blood levels may however not reflect brain levels of oxytocin. Therefore we looked into the effects on the brain responses and centrally controlled heart rate responses to empathy evoking pictures. A subgroup of men with autism had lower empathic orienting responses to positive human emotions, which improved after treatment with oxytocin nasal spray. This subgroup was characterized by high scores (15+) on the Personal Distress (PD) scale of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). Those with higher baseline levels of oxytocin also showed a higher treatment effect.Conclusion: Only a subgroup of men with ASD appears to benefit from oxytocin nasal spray for enhancing affective empathy; those who are sensitive to distress of others. Higher baseline levels of oxytocin also predicted a higher treatment effect.<br/

ARTS repository - University of Groningen

   University of GroningenThe effects of oxytocin in autismGroen, Yvonne; Althaus, Monika ; Oosterhoff, Menno; Balkom, van, Ingrid D. C.; Hoekstra,Pieter J.IMPORTANT NOTE: You are advised to consult the publisher's version (publisher's PDF) if you wish to cite fromit. Please check the document version below.Document VersionPublisher's PDF, also known as Version of recordPublication date:2019Link to publication in University of Groningen/UMCG research databaseCitation for published version (APA):Groen, Y., Althaus, M., Oosterhoff, M., Balkom, van, I. D. C., & Hoekstra, P. J. (2019). The effects ofoxytocin in autism. Poster session presented at 19e Nationaal Autisme Congres, Rotterdam, Netherlands.CopyrightOther than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download or to forward/distribute the text or part of it without the consent of theauthor(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license (like Creative Commons).The publication may also be distributed here under the terms of Article 25fa of the Dutch Copyright Act, indicated by the “Taverne” license.More information can be found on the University of Groningen website: https://www.rug.nl/library/open-access/self-archiving-pure/taverne-amendment.Take-down policyIf you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediatelyand investigate your claim.Downloaded from the University of Groningen/UMCG research database (Pure): http://www.rug.nl/research/portal. For technical reasons thenumber of authors shown on this cover page is limited to 10 maximum.Download date: 13-02-2023              Yvonne Groen1, Monika Althaus2, Menno Oosterhoff3, Ingrid D.C. van Balkom3, Pieter J. Hoekstra2 1 University of Groningen, Department of Clinical and Developmental Neuropsychology 2 University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Child- and Adolescent Psychiatry 3 Autism Team Northern-Netherlands, Jonx of Lentis Psychiatric Institute Autism Spectrum Disorder is … • A lifelong developmental disorder • Characterized by deficits in social interaction and communication, and restricted interests and behavior patterns • Associated with altered social cognition and emotion processing Oxytocin nasal spray improves affective empathy in a select group of  males with autism Objective A randomized controlled cross-over trial with oxytocin nasal spray (one dose of 24 EU) was conducted to investigate effects of oxytocin in young adult males with autism. neutral positive negative humans scenes Oxytocin is … • Produced in the hypothalamus • A hormone influencing a.o. digestion and sex organs • A neurotransmitter influencing social cognition and emotion processing • Involved in calm, healing and love E-mail: y.groen@rug.nl Sensitivity to distress of others, example items from the IRI: “I sometimes feel helpless when I am in the middle of a very emotional situation” “When I see someone who badly needs help in an emergency, I go to pieces” Oxytocin enhances brain responses to positive emotions in humans in males with autism having:  high sensitivity to distress of others  high pre treatment oxytocin blood levels Brain responses (EEG) to emotions in humans 

The effects of oxytocin in autism

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The effects of oxytocin in autism

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