Hormone Linked to Social Difficulties With Autism, Early Study Finds By Tara Haelle

HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, July 22, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Low levels of a certain hormone may play a role in the social difficulties that children with autism spectrum disorders experience, new research suggests.

Vasopressin, a hormone that helps regulate blood pressure, may play a role in social behavior, according to Karen Parker, a co-author of the study and an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine.

"Vasopressin may be a biological marker of, and potential drug target for, social impairments in autism," Parker said. "There are currently no medications that effectively treat the social deficits in people with autism."

Autism spectrum disorders affect an estimated 1 in 68 children, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Among the social skills sometimes lacking in children with autism is one called "theory of mind." This refers to the realization that other people have different perspectives, feelings and experiences, according to the advocacy organization Autism Speaks.

Parker's team found that children with autism who struggled more with theory of mind tasks also had lower vasopressin levels.

However, the study only found an association between lower levels of vasopressin and theory of mind tasks in children with autism. It did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship between vasopressin and social difficulties.

The findings were published July 22 in the journal PLOS ONE.

The study first compared vasopressin levels in the blood to those in the cerebrospinal fluid of 28 children and adults. They did this to be sure the levels were similar so that they could use blood levels of vasopressin as a "surrogate" for levels in the brain, Parker explained.

Then the researchers compared the vasopressin levels in the blood in three groups. One group included 57 children with autism. The second group had 47 typically developing children who had siblings with autism. The third group included 55 typically developing children who didn't have any siblings with autism.

The children were from ages 3 to 12. They underwent testing for their cognitive skills, their social responsiveness, their ability to recognize others' emotions and theory of mind.