法国国家科研中心的研究人员日前通过试验发现，注射催产素能够显著缓解孤独症患者的症状，这一发现将为医学界开发治疗孤独症的药物提供新思路。
法国研究人员在最新一期的美国《国家科学院学报》（PNAS）上报告说，催产素是脑下垂体后叶分泌的一种激素，它不但能促进临产孕妇的子宫收缩，帮助其分娩，还在人的社会行为和情感表达中起着关键作用。此前曾有研究发现，孤独症患者血液中催产素的含量严重不足。
为了进一步证实催产素对人的社交行为的影响，由安杰拉·西里古领导的科研小组给13名孤独症患者注射了催产素，这些患者具有正常的智力和语言水平，但无法主动参与社交活动，比如在与其他人的谈话中，他们会尽量避免与对话者进行眼神的交流。科研人员随后通过传球游戏等试验发现，注射了催产素的孤独症患者社交恐惧感有所减轻，更喜欢与他人玩耍，表现得更自信。
科研人员下一步将对催产素的长效机制及其对孤独症早期症状改善的有效性进行研究。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推荐原始出处：
PNAS February 16, 2010, doi:10.1073/pnas.0910249107
Promoting social behavior with oxytocin in high-functioning autism spectrum disorders
Elissar Andaria, Jean-René Duhamela, Tiziana Zallab, Evelyn Herbrechtb, Marion Leboyerb, and Angela Sirigua
Social adaptation requires specific cognitive and emotional competences. Individuals with high-functioning autism or with Asperger syndrome cannot understand or engage in social situations despite preserved intellectual abilities. Recently, it has been suggested that oxytocin, a hormone known to promote mother-infant bonds, may be implicated in the social deficit of autism. We investigated the behavioral effects of oxytocin in 13 subjects with autism. In a simulated ball game where participants interacted with fictitious partners, we found that after oxytocin inhalation, patients exhibited stronger interactions with the most socially cooperative partner and reported enhanced feelings of trust and preference. Also, during free viewing of pictures of faces, oxytocin selectively increased patients’ gazing time on the socially informative region of the face, namely the eyes. Thus, under oxytocin, patients respond more strongly to others and exhibit more appropriate social behavior and affect, suggesting a therapeutic potential of oxytocin through its action on a core dimension of autism.
