Oxytocin could be used as medicine to help people with anxiety and autism

The ‘love’ hormone oxytocin could one day be used as a medicine to help people suffering from conditions such as autism and anxiety to cope with social situations.

British researchers examined the effect of the hormone on 17 healthy men by administrating it via the blood and through the nose. 

They found that oxytocin using both injections and nasal spray reduced activity in the region of the brain which processes emotion and feelings of anxiety. 

Oxytocin, also known as the ‘cuddle hormone’, is released by the body during ‘tender moments’ – including while hugging and during sex.

It is thought to engender trust and generosity, while this study also found it decreased levels of alertness. 

Scientists have become increasingly interested in the use of oxytocin to help people suffering from conditions including schizophrenia, autism, anxiety and depression. 

The ‘love’ hormone oxytocin could one day be used as a medicine to help people suffering from conditions such as autism and anxiety to cope with social situations, a study has suggested (file photo)

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More than one in 100 British children have autism or a related condition such as Asperger’s syndrome – a ten-fold increase on 30 years ago.

Symptoms vary from child to child but can include avoiding eye contact, preferring to play alone, struggling to read emotions and ‘talking at’ other people, rather than participating in a conversation.

And anxiety, more specifically known as generalised anxiety disorder, is a mental health problem in which people find it difficult to control their stress and worry.

The condition is common and thought to affect around one in 20 people in the UK, although its causes aren’t well understood.

It may be triggered by over-activity in certain areas of the brain, a chemical imbalance, or having a traumatic past.

Previous research has shown that an oxytocin nasal spray may help to boost the social skills of people with autism.  

But the new research, by Kings College London, was the first study to compare different methods of delivering the hormone and how they affected blood flow in the brain.  

The men who took part in the latest study, who were 25 years old on average, did not have any psychiatric conditions.

Each of them received oxytocin through injections, a normal nasal spray and a nebuliser – a mask that covers the face and delivers medicine as you breathe.

While the patients received the drug, their brain activity was measured in an MRI scanner.

Dr Paloyelis and their team observed that in all three methods of delivery, the blood flow to the amygdala – the region of the brain involved in processing social information, emotion and anxiety – was reduced. 

They also found that levels of excitement and alertness decreased.  

Previous studies have shown that people who suffer from anxiety show increased activity in the amygdala regions of their brains.

Therefore, reduced activity may help to ease symptoms present in social situations. 

The researchers also found that administering the drug via the nasal route targeted areas of the brain which the injection method did not reach, although it was not clear where.

Patterns of regional blood flow differed depending on if oxytocin was delivered through a standard nasal spray or nebuliser.

However, injecting the blood is still useful because it allows for very precise control over the dose that is given. 

Study author Dr Yannis Paloyelis said the results suggested there is not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach of giving oxytocin when treating varying disorders.

He said it may be possible to use different methods of delivery to target precise areas of the brain. 

Dr Paloyelis said: ‘Our results show that a one-size-fits-all approach to administrating oxytocin is not the best approach and, to a certain extent, it may be possible to target where in the brain it takes effect.

‘This has important implications for the potential application of oxytocin to patients as it suggests that, for some disorders, one route or mode of administration may be superior to others.

‘For example, clinical applications aiming to target the frontal gyrus, insula or parts of the basal ganglia may achieve better results using the nasal route.’ 

WHAT IS THE ‘CUDDLE HORMONE’ OXYTOCIN?

Oxytocin, known as the ‘love hormone’, engenders trust and generosity.

The chemical is released naturally from the brain into the blood of humans and other mammals during social and sexual behaviours.

It is produced by women during labour to help them bond with their baby, and stimulates the production of breast milk.

The chemical is also released during lovemaking, earning it the nickname ‘the cuddle hormone’.

Other loving touches, from hugging a teddy bear to stroking your pet dog, also trigger the hormone’s release.