The investigators explored the neural and behavioral effect of oxytocin on youth with Autism spectrum disorder using magnetoencephalography (MEG). The investigators hypothesize that oxytocin will modulate neural activity to resemble patterns observed in the age-matched control group. Thirty-two adolescents with autism and 26 typically developing adolescents participated in this randomized, double-blind MEG study. Individuals with autism arrived at the lab twice and received an acute dose of intranasal oxytocin or placebo in each session. During the scans, participants were asked to complete several tasks related to social perception - such as identification of social and non-social stimuli.
In the current study, the investigators aimed to explore oxytocin's influences on neural components that relate to social processing. Namely, we focused on M100, M170, and M250, which tend to show atypical patterns in individuals with autism. The investigators also examined the effects of oxytocin on time dynamics - the change in specific oscillation over time and its effects on neural connectivity patterns.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
TRIPLE
Enrollment
58
Individual received age-dependent dosing of oxytocin and placebo. Participants aged 13-18 years received a dose of 24 IU (3 puffs to each nostril), and younger participants (aged 12 years) received 16 IU.
The change in social-related neural components (time-locked neural activity) with and without oxytocin
The amplitude (tesla) of three social related neural components will be measured using MEG device
Time frame: During each session
The change in oscillatory activity - power magnitude of Delta, Theta, Alpha, Beta and Gamma neural bands with and without oxytocin
The overall power of neural oscillatory activity will be measured using MEG device
Time frame: During each session
The change in behavioral measurments - reaction times and accurecy rates, with and without oxytocin
Reaction times will be measured in milliseconds and accurecy rates will be defined as the percentage of correct responses
Time frame: During each session
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