According to American researchers, a nasal spray containing the ‘Love hormone’ oxytocin could help children with autism behave more normally in social situations. Scans of autistic children showed that a single dose of the chemical improved brain responses to facial expressions. This is something that could make social interactions feel more natural and rewarding for them. The researchers said oxytocin might increase the success of behavioral therapies that are already used to help people with autism learn to cope with social situations “Over time, what you would expect to see is more normal social responding, being more interested in interacting with other people, more eye contact and more conversation,” said Kevin Pelphrey, of Yale University.
Do the researchers expect oxytocin to interact well with other treatments?
Yes, it can be combined with existing treatments No, oxytocin will not be effective if other treatments are used Yes, if the patient already has normal social responses The researchers think it is too early to know