Oxytocin Increases Retention of Social Cognition in Autism

Hollander, Eric; Bartz, Jennifer A.; Chaplin, William F.; Phillips, Ann; Sumner, Jennifer; Soorya, Latha; Anagnostou, Evdokia; Wasserman, Stacey

doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2006.05.030

Cited by 611 publications

(438 citation statements)

References 38 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

410

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…That is, higher OXT levels may protect the individual against defective social communication. This result was in accord with the outcome of a treatment study reporting improvement of speech comprehension after intravenous administration of OXT [42]. Meanwhile, correlations between plasma OXT levels and other CARS items, such as fear or anxiety, relating to people, or emotional response, were absent.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

Plasma Oxytocin and Arginine-Vasopressin Levels in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in China: Associations with Symptoms

Zhang

Dai

et al. 2016

Neurosci. Bull.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is defined by impairments of social interaction and the presence of obsessive behaviors. The ''twin'' nonapeptides oxytocin (OXT) and arginine-vasopressin (AVP) are known to play regulatory roles in social behaviors. However, the plasma levels and behavioral relevance of OXT and AVP in children with ASD have seldom been investigated. It is also unknown whether their mothers have abnormal plasma peptide levels. Here, using well-established methods of neuropeptide measurement and a relatively large sample size, we determined the plasma levels of the two neuropeptides in 85 normal children, 84 children with ASD, and 31 mothers from each group of children. As expected, children with ASD had lower plasma OXT levels than gender-matched controls (P = 0.028). No such difference was found for plasma AVP concentrations. Correlation analysis showed that ASD children with higher plasma OXT concentrations tended to have less impairment of verbal communication (Rho = -0.22, P = 0.076), while those with higher plasma AVP levels tended to have lower levels of repetitive use of objects (Rho = -0.231, P = 0.079). Unlike the findings in children, maternal plasma OXT levels showed no group difference. However, plasma AVP levels in the mothers of ASD children tended to be lower than in the mothers of normal children (P = 0.072). In conclusion, our results suggest that the OXT system is dysregulated in children with ASD, and that OXT and AVP levels in plasma seem to be associated with specific autistic symptoms. The plasma levels of OXT or AVP in mothers and their ASD children did not seem to change in the same direction.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

Plasma Oxytocin and Arginine-Vasopressin Levels in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in China: Associations with Symptoms

Zhang

Dai

et al. 2016

Neurosci. Bull.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Interestingly, the AVPR1a receptor of the closely related nonapeptide vasopressin has also been associated with ASD [40][41][42]. This provisional role of OT in ASD, is further supported by two linkage studies [43,44], clinical evidence by several groups demonstrating clinical improvement in ASD following OT administration [45][46][47][48][49][50][51] (also see [52,53]) and studies showing that ASD is also associated with alterations in OT plasma levels [54].…”

Section: Oxytocin and Autism Spectrum Disorders (Asd)mentioning

confidence: 91%

Are retinoids potential therapeutic agents in disorders of social cognition including autism?

et al. 2011

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Edited by Sergio Papa, Gianfranco Gilardi and Wilhelm JustKeywords: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) CD38 Oxytocin Polymorphism a b s t r a c t Increasing evidence suggests that the nonapeptide, oxytocin (OT), helps shape social and affiliative behaviors not only in lower mammals but also in humans. Recently, an essential mediator of brain OT release has been discovered, ADP-ribosyl cyclase and/or CD38. We have subsequently shown that polymorphisms across the CD38 gene are associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Notably, CD38 expression in lymphoblastoid cells (LBC) is reduced in cell lines derived from ASD subjects compared to parental cell lines. Intriguingly, a correlation was observed between CD38 expression and measures of social function in ASD. Finally, we have shown that all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), a known inducer of CD38 transcription, can rescue low CD38 expressing LBC lines derived from ASD subjects and restore normal levels of transcription of this ectoenzyme providing 'proof of principle' in a peripheral model that retinoids are potential therapeutic agents in ASD. Ó 2011 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. OxytocinClassically, the nonapeptide oxytocin (OT) has been viewed as a hypothalamic neuropeptide that is released into the general circulation from the neural lobe of the pituitary, inducing uterine contractions during parturition and milk ejection during lactation. OT is derived from a pre-prohormone precursor that is synthesized in the hypothalamus and stored in vesicles at the posterior pituitary for storage and subsequent release into the bloodstream (see [1] for comprehensive review of the oxytocin receptor system). OT and social behaviorBeyond the long-known peripheral effects of OT, a wealth of animal studies have elaborated the role of OT, or their analogues such as isotocin and vasotocin [2], in molding social behavior from fish to mammals [3]. In the past few years the role of OT has also been examined in our own species, and similar to what has been learned from animal studies, it appears that this nonapeptides also influence social behaviors in humans [4,5]. Indeed, OT has been suggested as the 'great facilitator of life' in a recent review [6].In humans, intranasal administration of OT has been shown to increase trust [7], facilitate mind-reading [8], enhance human memory for social identity [9], increase positive communication between couples [10], increase gaze to the eye region [11] and increase generosity [12]. Intriguingly, OT plasma levels have been linked to individual patterns of maternal-fetal attachment [13] and salivary OT levels were associated with bonding to own parents and inversely related to psychological distress, particularly depressive symptoms [14]. Social anxiety symptom severity, adjusted for age and gender in a healthy group of subjects, was associated with higher plasma oxytocin levels [15]. Imaging studies reinforce the role of OT in influencing human social ...

show abstract

“…As regards this latter pathway, decreased circulating oxytocin levels in individuals with ASD has been observed (Modahl et al, 1998), and administration of oxytocin to individuals with ASD has been reported to reduce repetitive behaviors (Hollander et al, 2003), enhance retention of social cognition (Hollander et al, 2007) and improve emotional recognition (Guastella et al, 2010). Furthermore, OXTR, which is located at chromosome 3p25 and encodes a G-protein coupled receptor, has been associated with ASD in numerous studies (Wu et al, 2005;Ylisaukko-oja et al, 2006;Jacob et al, 2007;Lerer et al, 2008;Yrigollen et al, 2008;Gregory et al, 2009;Liu et al, 2010;Wermter et al, 2010).…”

Section: The Oxytocin System In Asd and Its Interactions With Other Pmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Candidate Circuit Approach to Investigating Autism

Page

2011

The Anatomical Record

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A major problem in understanding mechanisms of pathogenesis in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is deciphering how risk factors act via the brain to influence the behavioral symptoms of this disorder. We may start to bridge this gap in our understanding by systematically examining the structure and function of cell types that make up circuits underlying behavioral endophenotypes in animal models for ASD. A confluence of advances in basic behavioral neurobiology, in ASD mechanisms and animal models, and in genetic tools for imaging and manipulating brain circuits will make this possible. Through a process of elimination of candidates and comparison across models, we may hope to understand how ASD risk factors influence the development and function of neural circuitry at the level of genetically defined cell types. As an example of how this candidate circuit approach may be applied to investigating ASD, here I focus on social behavior as an endophenotype, and I discuss recent findings regarding the development and function of the oxytocin system, which is implicated in both normal social behavior and ASD pathogenesis. I stress the importance of a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach to probing candidate cell types and circuits across mouse models of ASD.

show abstract

Oxytocin Increases Retention of Social Cognition in Autism

Cited by 611 publications

References 38 publications

Plasma Oxytocin and Arginine-Vasopressin Levels in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in China: Associations with Symptoms

Plasma Oxytocin and Arginine-Vasopressin Levels in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in China: Associations with Symptoms

Are retinoids potential therapeutic agents in disorders of social cognition including autism?

A Candidate Circuit Approach to Investigating Autism

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About