Nasal Spray For Autism Hypothesizes Oxytocin Effect
Written by SAPL on January 31st, 2019 in Science and Technology.
Treatments given through the nasal cavity have brought convenience and relief, and now Japanese researchers have developed a promising therapeutic device they believe will ease the symptoms of autism.
Push aside your allergy treatments, it’s time to make room for the Oxytocin Autism spray in your cabinet.
Professor Hidenori Yamasue of Hamamatsu University School of Medicine in Japan is currently putting his experimental drug through phase 2 clinical trials in a country where the prevalence of autism continues to rise.
Much of the literature surrounding autism claims more men than women are affected, which led the group to an idea about what is also known as the “happiness hormone.” Oxytocin plays a role in both womb contractions and breast milk release (functions in females), so if more men than women are afflicted with the disorder, perhaps it is the lack of this hormone that makes them less capable of displaying emotional responses that neurotypicals do. Oxytocin is known to give feelings of happiness and well-being, and mood enhancement may be a part of the cure.
When male subjects inhaled the nasal solution through the nasal cavity, they demonstrated an increased ability to communicate. When measuring brain activity, areas that play a greater role in emotional comprehension were more active.
The research group hopes to have the treatment available by 2023.
