Individuals with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can show difficulty communicating and engaging in social interactions. They might repeat certain tasks, not pick up on social cues, or have difficulty adjusting to breaks in their daily routine. However, as the name implies, there is a wide variety of symptoms associated with ASD that appear in different levels in different people. Although there are currently no medications to alleviate the social deficit symptoms of ASD, a new study from UCLA suggests that oxytocin treatments might be beneficial. Oxytocin is a molecule in the brain that is closely linked with feelings of trust, love, and relaxation, making it particularly interesting to ASD researchers.
UCLA researchers pursued this possible treatment by stimulating human autistic behavior in mice models. Daniel Geschwind, a UCLA professor of psychiatry, neurology, and human genetics, and his colleagues knocked out a gene called CNTNAP2, which is believed to play a significant role in language and speech development. Previous research on CNTNAP2 has shown the gene to be a good candidate for the genetic basis of a wide range of mental disorders, including ASD. The team created ASD subjects by breeding mice with inoperable forms of the CNTNAP2 gene. Researchers found that the ASD mice had fewer oxytocin-producing neurons and a decrease in oxytocin levels throughout the brain. However, half an hour after a single injection of oxytocin, the mice began to show more normal social behavior and approached other mice. Furthermore, oxytocin injections had no effect on the social behavior of control mice (those without ASD), highlighting the gene’s significance in describing certain forms of ASD.
Image Source: Peter Macdiarmid
Researchers used two techniques to solidify the connection between oxytocin and improved social behavior in ASD mice. The first was injections of a drug called melanocortin, which promotes the natural release of oxytocin. The second involved the use of artificial receptors, called DREADDS, that activate oxytocin neurons. ASD mice showed social improvement after both treatments.
Additionally, oxytocin injections in ASD mice were found to have more prolonged positive effects when injected in postnatal mice than several weeks after birth, suggesting the existence of optimal times for treatment. Future research will focus on finding this optimal window and its potential use as a treatment in humans.
Feature Image Source: Kids in the overpass by Lance Nielson
I wonder how young children with ADS are diagnosed. It may be hard to translate this research into humans, especially with the postnatal oxytocin injections if it can’t be determined that early if the child has ADS.