Effects of the Oxytocin hormone on improving stereotyped behaviors in children with autistic disorder

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Department of psychology, Shiraz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shiraz, Iran.

Abstract

Abstract
Introduction: Autistic Disorder is one of the neuro-developmental disorders recognized a series by repetitive and stereotyped behaviors. Due to the increasing rate of children suffering from this disease around the world, this study aimed to investigate the effect of the oxytocin hormone on improving the stereotypical behaviors of children with autistic disorder was performed.
Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental study is double-blind trial in 1395 on 45 children of 4 to 13 years old, with autistic disorder visited to autism treatment centers of Shiraz were conducted. The samples divided to 3 groups of 15 including control (no treatment), sham (treated with placebo) and experimental (treatment with oxytocin). Materials used include intranasal oxytocin spray and placebo spray and the data collection tool from samples in two pre-test and post-test, Gilliam Autism Rating Scale questionnaire- Second Edition or GARS-2, respectively. In the end, the data obtained using ANOVA and t-test was analyzed and significance difference of data at P<0/05was considered.
Results: The results showed that treatment with oxytocin improves stereotyped behaviors in patients with autistic disorder at p<0/001 compared to the control group and so, age and gender variables have no significant effect on the effectiveness of oxytocin.
Conclusion: Results of this study showed that oxytocin injection possibly through effects on brain centers improves stereotyped behaviors disorders in children with autism, and age and gender have no effect on this treatment.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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History

  • Receive Date: 01 July 2017
  • Revise Date: 16 January 2018
  • Accept Date: 08 April 2018

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