Plasma Oxytocin in Children with

Autism and it’s Correlations with

Behavioral Parameters in Children
and Parents
By: Veronika Marcincakova Husarova, Silvia Lakatosova, Anna
Pivovarciova, Katarina Babinska, Jan Bakos, Jaroslava Durdiakova,
Aneta Kubranska, Igor Ondrejka, and Daniela Ostatnikova
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Why this article?

Genetic & Physiological Importance Overall Importance

● Most ASD cases display evidence for some sort of
genetic proponent being apart of the complicated
diagnostic puzzle.
● This is seen commonly with the monozygotic twin
studies. *
● Most literature that studies ASD strictly focuses
on the individual(s) with ASD. **
● It is important these studies exist, however it is
also important for the field to be open minded
and not fixate on a certain
intervention/perspective.
● The study I am presenting involves Oxytocin.
● Our genome, hormones, neurons, neurotransmitters,
etc. all interwork with each other speaking in a
complicated language, but they tell a story.
● It is often difficult to understand if A causes B or vice
versa but research allows us to understand each
puzzle piece more thoroughly.
● Medical research does not mean they will entirely
eliminate autism from our population, but it could
allow professionals in the field to take more efficient
approaches after understanding the medical model
better. ***

* page 104-106 of Autism Spectrum Disorder: Characteristics, Causes, and Practical Issues.

** What should autism research focus upon? Community views and priorities from the United Kingdom

*** page 90 of Autism Spectrum Disorder: Characteristics, Causes, and Practical Issues.
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What is Oxytocin?
● Oxytocin is a hormonal neuromodulator with a half life The Love Hormone
of 3-5 minutes. A neuromodulator stimulates or ● There are multiple reasons as to why
depresses the chemical output from neurons.* Think of
oxytocin has received this name.
them like specialized professionals of the body, they all
● It is released in the body
have specific duties to modulate neural activity for their
○ During sex
designed part of the neuron.
● Oxytocin is created in the hypothalamus by binding ○ During childbirth
supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei and then ○ During social/physical interaction
dispatched into the body via pituitary gland which is ● Oxytocin has also been correlated to
often called the “hormonal control center” emotional regulation**
● Oxytocin has recently been nicknamed the “love ● Studies of oxytocin have also linked facial
hormone” for various reasons. recognition and recognizing emotions via
pictures of faces.***
* page 122 of Autism Spectrum Disorder: Characteristics, Causes, and Practical Issues. ● Studies lack research of overall effects of
** www.hormone.org/hormones-and-health/hormones/oxytocin low oxytocin levels and high levels oxytocin.
*** Oxytocin and Facial Emotion Recognition.
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Let’s begin the

article slides
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Background & Introduction

● Oxytocin has been hypothesized to play a role in

ASD.
● Husarova et al. decided to examine the plasma
levels of oxytocin in children with ASD and their
parents in comparison to children without.
● The researchers in the study believe autism has a
hereditary factor due to the research with
monozygotic twins.
● Referencing other studies, researchers state that
nasal sprays of oxytocin enhanced facial &
emotional recognition as well as increased eye
contact compared to placebo sprays.
Figure 1

Figure 1 shows a visual display for the molecular structure of oxytocin.

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Purpose of the study

To test the hypothesis that oxytocin deficiency plays a role in autistic traits and tendencies.

Also to examine the if there is a correlation of oxytocin levels between children with ASD and their parents
questionnaire scores. .
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Participants (Children)
● 19 boys with the diagnosis of ASD
and 44 typically developing boys
between the ages of 2 and 9.
● The mean age for the boys with
ASD were 56.7 months and the
typically developing boys were
58.9 months.
● Children with ASD were recruited through
in Bratislava, Slovakia Autism Centre.
● Boys with ASD met the diagnosis via ADI
by a child psychologist and psychiatrist.
● Only children with an IQ less than 70 were
included into the study.
● The typical developing boys all took blood
samples to rule out any diagnosis, they
were also examined, and placed in typical
functioning classrooms.
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Participants (Adults)
● 14 mothers and 13 fathers of the
children with ASD participated in
this study.
● The mean of the mothers’ age was
34 years and the mean of the
fathers’ age was about 38.
● All parents had no diagnosis or
history of psychiatric treatment
(besides one with a depression
reference).
● Parents filled out questionnaires prior
via email.
● Some of the questions pertaining to the
email asked for level of education, prior
diagnosis, and were questionnaires
relating to the study.
● Informed consent was collected from
every individual that participated in the
study.
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Measurements
Plasma
● Blood controls were taken by the
pediatrician
● The blood sample of all children were
obtained during the same interval from
8:00-9:00 am
● All OT measurements were performed
in the laboratory of the Institute of
Physiology within standard guidelines
Physiological
● All children with ASD were tested using The
Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) and
evaluated by child psychologist and
psychiatrist. Autism Diagnostic interview
(ADI) was also administered as well.
● Parents were asked to complete Autism
Spectrum Quotient, Systemizing Quotient,
and Empathy Quotient via email.
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Measurements cont.
CARS
● CARS includes 15 items utilizing a 7 point scale in 4
degrees: non-autistic, mild autistic, middle autistic, and
severe autistic.
● The range of scores on CARS go from 15-60. Scores of 30 or
higher are often suggested to be in the ASD range.
ADI
● For research and time purposes the ADI was
shortened from 35 items on a 3 to 4 point scale to a
13 item questionairee.
● This included social interaction, communication,
speech and language, repetitive behaviors.
● Social interaction included measurements such as
eye contact, peer play, imitation.
● Communication included object pointing, gesturing,
expression.
● Language area included small talk and reciprocal
conversation.
● General speech measured echolalia and
stereotyped speech behaviors.
● The maximum total score is 101 points.

Figure 2
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Alternate Measurements
● AQ is a self administered questionnaire
designed to detect autistic traits in adults
with normal intelligence.
● Scores of 26-50 indicate ASD tendencies.
Figure 3
● SQ and EQ are based on Baron-Cohen’s
empathizing systemizing theory and the
extreme male brain theory.
● Same self reporting questionnaire type as
the AQ.
● The maximum score is an 80
● All Questionnaires were downloaded from
autismresearchcentre.com and translated
into Slovak
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Results Children

Plasma
● Researchers found a high statistical significant
difference of Oxytocin between groups.
● One child was excluded for extreme OT values with
a mean of over two standard deviations.
Scores
● A significant positive correlation of plasma
oxytocin and ADI reciprocal and
communication subscales was discovered.
● However, there was no significant
correlation of oxytocin and
speech/language or restrictive behavior
subscore.
● No differences between CARS or ADI total
score was observed.

Table 1
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Results Adults

Plasma/ Scores No correlation Plasma/Scores Correlation

● No significant correlation of between father’s
plasma levels and AQ sub scores.
● There was no significant correlation between
plasma and fathers EQ overall score.
● No correlation of any sub scales of AQ and oxytocin
level maternally.
● There was no correlation between plasma and
mothers’ overall SQ and EQ score
● Significant Positive correlations were found
for plasma oxytocin levels in children and
fathers’ AQ and SQ overall scores.
● Mother’s overall AQ score had a positive
trend but not significant.

Table 2
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Discussion
● The original hypothesis was confirmed,
findings supported an altered oxytocin
system in ASD children.
● In addition, the findings supported a
significant positive correlation of plasma and
ADI reciprocal interaction and
communication subscale which does not
associate low levels of oxytocin with autistic
symptoms
● This means they found higher oxytocin levels
were connected with more severe autism
symptoms in the lens of interaction and
communication.
● It seems that high/low levels of oxycontin
could correlate with different ASD traits
and behaviors. This would be it’s not as
black and white as being low levels
causing all traits or high levels causing all
traits.
● To summarize, oxytocin plays a role in
social interaction, it is just unclear at what
level.
● Possible hypothesis include issues with
the oxytocin receptor having
abnormalities.
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Discussion cont.
● Positive correlation of plasma levels in children
● Testosterone is also hypothesized to play
with ASD and fathers’ SQ and AQ scores yielded a
positive trend for social skill, attention to detail, a negative factor in the expression of
and communication areas. oxytocin and oxytocin receptors.*
● This is believed to be the first evidence of
parental behavioral measures with oxytocin and
ASD.
● The relationship also could also build evidence to
the extreme male brain theory due to oxytocin
and testosterone interactions. (Since there was a
correlation between father and son and males
are predominantly diagnosed with autism)
● The relationship also gives claim to the 2d:4d
theory

* Johnson AE, Coirini H, McEwen BS, Insel TR. Testosterone modulates oxytocin binding in the Figure 4
hypothalamus of castrated male rats.
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Discussion cont.
● This positive correlation of oxytocin and AQ and SQ was found only in fathers, not the
mothers.
● The mothers AQ subscale was also not observed as it was in the fathers.
● The article included a study in its reference explaining this by a hypothesize where
the maternal and paternal genetics battle for expressed genes.
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Limitations and Future Research

Limitations Future research

● There are many different sub-groups of ASD and not
all of them have been proven to have the same low
oxytocin levels as each other.
● There was only boys in the study, there was no girls
because of the lower population of girls diagnosed
with ASD in the field.
● The study did not review the behavior questionnaires
within the healthy children parents.
● The way they extracted the plasma in the children
could yield different results depending on type of
extraction.
In addition to keeping in mind the limitations listed
for future research, I believe future research could
be interesting in the following.
● Testing the oxytocin levels of the parents.
● Having child and parent behavior observed
from a professional in a home setting
instead of a self answered questionnaire.
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References
Boucher, J. (2017). Autism spectrum disorder: Characteristics, causes and practical issues. Los Angeles: SAGE.

Ellenbogen, M. A. (2017). Oxytocin and Facial Emotion Recognition. Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences.
doi:10.1007/7854_2017_20

Husarova, V. M., Lakatosova, S., Pivovarciova, A., Babinska, K., Bakos, J., Durdiakova, J., . . . Ostatnikova, D. (2016). Plasma
Oxytocin in Children with Autism and Its Correlations with Behavioral Parameters in Children and Parents. Psychiatry
Investigation,13(2), 174. doi:10.4306/pi.2016.13.2.174

Johnson, A. E., Coirini, H., Mcewen, B. S., & Insel, T. R. (1989). Testosterone Modulates Oxytocin Binding in the Hypothalamus
of Castrated Male Rats. Neuroendocrinology,50(2), 199-203. doi:10.1159/000125222

Oxytocin | Hormone Health. (n.d.). Retrieved April 18, 2018, from

https://www.hormone.org/hormones-and-health/hormones/oxytocin

Pellicano, E., Dinsmore, A., & Charman, T. (2014). What should autism research focus upon? Community views and priorities from
the United Kingdom. Autism,18(7), 756-770. doi:10.1177/1362361314529627
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Thank you.