Visual systemizing preference in children with autism: A randomized controlled trial of intranasal oxytocin.
Visual systemizing preference in children with autism: A randomized controlled trial of intranasal oxytocin.
复制标题
视觉系统化自闭症儿童的偏好：鼻内催产素的随机对照试验。
DOI：
10.1017/s0954579417001018
复制
发表时间：
2018-05
影响因子：
3.3
通讯作者：
Fonagy P
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Strathearn L;Kim S;Bastian DA;Jung J;Iyengar U;Martinez S;Goin-Kochel RP;Fonagy P
Several studies have suggested that the neuropeptide oxytocin may enhance aspects of social communication in autism. Little is known, however, about its effects on non-social manifestations, such as restricted interests and repetitive behaviors. In the Empathizing-Systemizing Theory of autism, social deficits are described along the continuum of empathizing ability, whereas non-social aspects are characterized in terms of an increased preference for patterned or rule-based systems, called “systemizing.” We therefore developed an automated eye-tracking task to test whether children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared to matched controls display a visual preference for more highly organized and structured (“systemized”) real-life images. Then, as part of a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled crossover study, we examined the effect of intranasal oxytocin on systemizing preferences in 16 male children with ASD, compared with 16 matched controls. Participants viewed 14 slides, each containing 4 related pictures (e.g. of people, animals, scenes, or objects) that differed primarily on the degree of systemizing. Visual systemizing preference was defined in terms of the fixation time and count for each image. Unlike control subjects who showed no gaze preference, individuals with ASD preferred to fixate on more highly systemized pictures. Intranasal oxytocin eliminated this preference in ASD participants, who now showed a similar response to control subjects on placebo. In contrast, control participants increased their visual preference for more systemized images after receiving oxytocin vs. placebo. These results suggest that, in addition to its effects on social communication, oxytocin may play a role in some of the non-social manifestations of autism.
