Guest guest Posted December 12, 2006 Report Share Posted December 12, 2006 Liz....didn't you just ask about those who used Pitocin for inducing labor? Oxytocin May Ease Autism Symptoms WASHINGTON (Reuters) Dec 05 - A study reported at a meeting of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology in Nashville, Tennessee, indicates that oxytocin, which studies have found is important in human bonding, may help reduce debilitating symptoms in autistic adults. Dr. Hollander and Bartz of the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York conducted a study in which they administered Pitocin (injectable oxytocin) to adults with autism. Hollander and Bartz tested the patients for their ability to identify emotions and to control repetitive behaviors. In their presentation, the researchers said they gave the volunteers intravenous infusions of either Pitocin or saline solution in a 2-week crossover fashion, then gave them questionnaires about mood and emotions. The subjects given oxytocin on the first testing day developed and retained an ability to assess emotion, the researchers found. They also noted a rapid reduction of repetitive behaviors over the course of the oxytocin infusion, with no such reduction with the saline. " Studies with animals have found that oxytocin plays a role in a variety of behaviors, including parent-child and adult-to-adult pair bonding, social memory, social cognition, anxiety reduction and repetitive behaviors, " Bartz said in a statement. More study is needed, the researchers urged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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