Brain Imaging Study of Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorders

What Was Tested

In this phase 1 trial, researchers set out to test Oxytocin and Vasopressin.

This research study investigates the effects of oxytocin and vasopressin on brain activity in adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Background: \- Oxytocin and vasopressin are two hormones produced in the brain.

Both hormones can influence activity in brain regions such as the amygdala that are involved in social and emotional processing.

The registry classes the interventions as drug.

More on the Plan

Design: This will be a double-blind cross-over functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, requiring three visits in addition to a screening visit.

At each visit, participants will receive an intranasal application of oxytocin, vasopressin, or placebo and will be scanned while performing social cognition tasks and tasks involving the processing of affective stimuli.

Their main brain region of interest will be the amygdala.

Who Took Part

Enrollment: 38 actual participants took part.

It was open to people of any sex aged from 18 years up to 40 years.

Healthy volunteers could join, not only people with the condition.

The full record lists 1 inclusion and 0 exclusion criteria.

How the Study Was Run

The set-up was randomized and crossover.

Because people in this Oxytocin study were split into groups at random, differences between the groups are less likely to reflect who happened to join each one.

In the crossover set-up each of the participants took both Oxytocin and the comparison in turn, acting as their own control.

It started in 2010-02-19 with completion listed for 2013-04-11.

It ran at 1 site in United States.

Its stated primary purpose is diagnostic.

What Was Measured

Researchers chose this as the main measure: Changes in brain activations (time frame: 1.5 hours).

It also tracked 1 secondary outcome, for example Performance scores and reaction time on behavioral tasks.

What This Means in Plain Language

Put simply, this is a phase 1, randomized trial of Oxytocin and Vasopressin in 38 people.

Its size is small, so on its own it can only give an early look.

The trial is marked completed; no results are posted to the registry yet, so nothing here describes outcomes.

More context: the Oxytocin compound page and the Vasopressin compound page, all human trials.