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Oxytocin administered via nasal spray to children and adolescentswith autism spectrum disorders seems to increase activity in brainregions known to process social information, as seen on functionalmagnetic resonance imaging, according to a study to be presented atthe annual International Meeting for Autism Research, held from May17 to 19 in Toronto. THURSDAY, May 17 (HealthDay News) -- Oxytocin administered vianasal spray to children and adolescents with autism spectrumdisorders (ASDs) seems to increase activity in brain regions knownto process social information, as seen on functional magneticresonance imaging (fMRI), according to a study to be presented atthe annual International Meeting for Autism Research, held from May17 to 19 in Toronto. Ilanit Gordon, Ph.D., from Yale University in New Haven, Conn., andcolleagues conducted a double blind, randomized controlled study,in which 40 children (aged 7 to 18 years) with ASDs were randomlyassigned to oxytocin or placebo nasal sprays on two consecutivevisits. Well-validated fMRI paradigms, including the Reading theMind in the Eyes and Biological Motion Detection, were used to testparticipants' ability to detect biological motion and read others'emotions from the eye region. In preliminary results, the researchers found that, compared withplacebo, intranasal administration of oxytocin was linked withincreased activation of the superior temporal sulcus (STS) regionduring perception of biological motion. Oxytocin seemed to advancethe ability to accurately identify and describe mental states. Inaddition, it increased brain activation in regions previouslyimplicated in social perception and cognition, mentalizing, andtheory of mind abilities (medial prefrontal cortex, STS, temporalparietal junction, and fusiform). "These initial results are currently being [expanded], but theyprovide a very promising and exciting indicator of the neuralmechanisms underlying oxytocin's impact on social perception andcognition in children with ASD," the authors write. Abstract More Information Copyright © 2012 HealthDay . All rights reserved. The e-commerce company in China offers quality products such as Automatic Sliding Door Parts , Water Solenoid Valves, and more. For more , please visit Pneumatic Solenoid Valves today!
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