surprising finding, however, is that oxytocin nasal spray did not change performance on the social cognitive task. Nor is it clear yet if oxytocin only has benefits for people with autism or has any unwanted side effects. Finally, oxytocin effects only last about 45 minutes, so there may be practical considerations as to whether this could be used as a treatment. “From a scientific perspective, this study has a lot of evidence from animal and human work to justify serious attention, but more research is needed. Doctors should be cautious about the clinical potential of this hormone until we know much more about its benefits and risks, in much larger studies,” said Simon Baron-Cohen.
What is one of the reasons scientists are uncertain about using oxytocin in real life?
It may have harmful side effects It might benefit people with autism but harm others Experts such as Baron-Cohen claim there is no evidence that oxytocin is effective They are afraid that insurance companies will not pay for it