The theory that oxytocin, the so-called trust hormone, could benefit children with autism has been debunked, according to new research.
Profesor Mark Dadds, of the UNSW School of Psychology, and his team conducted a randomised controlled clinical trial of 38 boys aged between seven and 16 years of age with autism.
Half were given a nasal spray of oxytocin on four consecutive days.
It was found that oxytocin did not significantly improve emotion recognition, social interaction skills, repetitive behaviours, or general behavioural adjustment.
Read more at UNSW Sydney