When I was trying to come up with a topic for my blog entry this week I googled search for Oxytocin and google automatically added autism after oxytocin. I thought that this was interesting and decided to continue to search for articles about this association. In a journal article by Modahl et al. (1998) a connection was found between the presence of autism and levels of oxytocin. This article can be found at: http://lynnwaterhouse.intrasun.tcnj.edu/Plasma%20oxytocin%20levels%20in%20autistic%20children.pdf
Autism is a developmental disorder that appears in the first 3 years of life, and affects the brain's normal development of social and communication skills. The major problems faced by those with autism are in face-to-face interactions with other people. Reeve et al, (2009) stated that oxytocin is the bonding hormone, that is referred to as the "tend and befriend" hormone. It is important in seeking counsel, support, and nurturance. It makes sense that there is a link between the hormone and autism.
Modahl et al. (1998) tested their hypothesis that those individuals with autism have lower levels of oxytocin than those individuals who did not have autism. To do this they took blood plasma samples from 29 autistic children and 30 normal children. They then analyzed those samples for oxyocin samples. The researchers found that the children with autism had lower levels of oxytocin than the children without autism. They also found that higher oxytocin levels were associated with higher scores on social and developmental levels in normal children.
This is an interesting article in that is establishes a connection between a hormone that we have learned is important in being caring and nurturing and a medical disorder. It is another example of how a single hormone/chemical can have a affect on a variety of things. It also shows that the spectrum of oxytocin levels could be detrimental on the far edge.
I have both worked with children with autism and I did my research methods work on autism, so I found this post very interesting. When I first read the title to this post I instantly thought that people with autism would have lower levels of oxytocin, and the research supported this. It really does make sense because, as you mentioned, people with autism don't make the social connections and social bonds that people without autism do.
One would assume that the autism disorder would cause the decreased levels of autism, instead of the other way around. Either way, could increased levels of oxytocin improve autistic tendencies?
I looked into this and found an article that tested just this. The researchers administered both artificial oxytocin and a placebo into adults with autism, and they found that increased oxytocin levels significantly reduced repetitive behavior and improved social cognition. This study could be incredibly important in treating people with autism in the future!