Effects of oxytocin administration on salivary sex hormone levels in autistic and neurotypical women.
Tanya L Procyshyn, Michael V Lombardo, Meng-Chuan Lai and 7 others
PMID 32188502WHAT IT FOUND
After taking oxytocin nasal spray, testosterone levels rose in 11 of 16 autistic women but fell in 21 of 29 neurotypical women.
This suggests autistic women may react to oxytocin differently than non-autistic women, potentially affecting how they respond to treatment.
Key findings
01After oxytocin administration, testosterone levels increased in 11 of 16 autistic women but decreased in 21 of 29 neurotypical women.
02The ratio of testosterone to oestradiol was significantly higher in autistic women than in neurotypical women at baseline.
03Baseline testosterone-to-oestradiol ratio correlated positively with autistic-like traits and negatively with empathy scores in the combined sample.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The sample size was small (16 autistic women), making the results preliminary. The study only included women with autism who were described as 'high-functioning' and had normal IQ, so findings may not apply to autistic women with intellectual disabilities or different support needs. Saliva hormone levels can be variable, and the study could not rule out that the neuroimaging session itself influenced hormone levels. The study measured hormone changes but did not measure social behaviour or communication outcomes, so it is unknown if these hormonal changes translate to clinical benefits or harms.
Declared interests
The authors declared no competing interests. The study was supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the rise in testosterone in autistic women as evidence that oxytocin improves social behaviour. This study measured biological markers, not clinical outcomes, and the increase in testosterone could reflect stress or other factors unrelated to social benefit. There is no evidence here that oxytocin is an effective treatment for autism in women.