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document
Intranasal oxytocin improves emotion recognition for youth with autism spectrum disorders . BACKGROUND A diagnostic hallmark of autism spectrum disorders is a qualitative impairment in social communication and interaction . Deficits in the ability to recognize the emotions of others are believed to contribute to this . There is currently no effective treatment for these problems . METHODS In a double-blind , randomized , placebo-controlled , crossover design , we administered oxytocin nasal spray ( 18 or 24 IU ) or a placebo to 16 male youth aged 12 to 19 who were diagnosed with Autistic or Asperger 's Disorder . Participants then completed the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Task , a widely used and reliable test of emotion recognition . RESULTS In comparison with placebo , oxytocin administration improved performance on the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Task . This effect was also shown when analysis was restricted to the younger participants aged 12 to 15 who received the lower dose . CONCLUSIONS This study provides the first evidence that oxytocin nasal spray improves emotion recognition in young people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders . Findings suggest the potential of earlier intervention and further evaluation of oxytocin nasal spray as a treatment to improve social communication and interaction in young people with autism spectrum disorders .
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Intervention_Pharmacological
oxytocin
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Intervention_Pharmacological
oxytocin nasal spray
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Intervention_Control
placebo
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Intervention_Control
placebo
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Intervention_Pharmacological
oxytocin
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Intervention_Pharmacological
oxytocin
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Outcome_Mental
emotion recognition
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Outcome_Mental
Reading the Mind in the Eyes Task
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Outcome_Mental
emotion recognition
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Outcome_Mental
performance on the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Task
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Outcome_Mental
emotion recognition
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Participant_Age
youth
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Participant_Condition
autism spectrum disorders
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Participant_Sample-size
16
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Participant_Sex
male
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Participant_Age
youth aged 12 to 19
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Participant_Condition
Autistic or Asperger 's Disorder
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Participant_Age
younger