Oxytocin Found to Stimulate Social Brain Regions in Children With Autism

           Many kids have to face the scrutiny of not being able to form social interactions with their peers or even adults. However, this is especially tough on autistic kids. My niece is autistic and deals with issues of interacting with her family, her fellow classmates, etc. It’s disappointing to see that she doesn’t know who I am every time I see and greet her. However, her lack of social interaction is completely small compared to her intellectual ability and her artistic talents. Even though there is no treatment for autism, many are obtaining hope that social interactions of an autistic kid can be improved by the use of oxytocin. The article in the New York Times called Oxytocin Found to Stimulate Social Brain Regions in Children With Autism by Pam Belluck deals with the optimism and the limitations of oxytocin on autistic kids.

            Oxytocin is a hormone that is more commonly known as the “love hormone” as it is the cause for many of the intimate feelings we have towards the people we care for. In a study done by The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, “show that an oxytocin inhalant increase activity in the regions involved in social interactions…and that brain regions are not irrevocably damaged but are plastic enough to be influenced.” (Belluck) However, many aren’t as optimistic about this finding due to the idea that oxytocin can only help those with a very mild form of autism. Another research was done with kids of ages from 8-16, being placed in fMRI and were assessed for their emotional activity in the brain. Many showed increased activity after an inhalant of oxytocin. This was done by assessing the emotion associated with looking at the eyes of a face. Many parents seek this to be treatment and ask for doses of it in a mild manner. However, many such as Geraldine Dawson, Director of Center for Autism Diagnosis and Treatment argue that this is not sought for as treatment but as a way of “possibly priming the brain to make it more receptive to social information.” Many researchers want to refrain from the use of drugs to treat autism, but are looking for ways to help autistic kids increase social interactions by engaging in behavioral therapies.

            According to Daniel Bor in his The Ravenous Brain, Bor tries to understand the consciousness of someone with autism. He declares that many may have too much awareness and that is why they stay away from noise and busy places. This they do to remove the additional noise that is creating a chaos in their minds. He states that many may have high IQ and possess talents that make them great and famous people. He also states that autism being looked upon as a disorder is being refuted by many scientists. This correlates with the article which also states that lack of social interaction isn’t a disorder but a symptom that can be treated long term. Again, Bor and the article reference drugs such as Oxytocin or Arbaclofen that can help autistic kids increase social interaction. But they try to state that using drugs is not a lifelong treatment but a way to help the brain adapt and learn to increase social interaction. Since many researchers think the brain is plastic, it does possess the ability to change and adapt to situations. The potential from research such as this leaves the hope that many autistic kids can have the help needed to engage socially and are not looked upon as mentally retarded people.

Bor, Daniel. The Ravenous Brain: How the New Science of Consciousness Explains Our Insatiable Search for Meaning. New York: Basic, 2012. Print

Belluck, Pam. (2013, December 2). Oxytocin Found to Stimulate Social Brain Regions in Children With Autism. Article. The New York Times. Retrieved October 16, 2014

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/03/health/oxytocin-found-to-stimulate-brain-in-children-with-autism.html?pagewanted=all&module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3Ar&_r=0