Could oxytocin nasal spray help children with autism by making faces less overwhelming?

Could oxytocin nasal spray help children with autism by making faces less overwhelming?

A new study in Molecular Autism has found that a four-week course of oxytocin nasal spray in children with autism spectrum disorder was associated with decreased activity in brain regions responsible for processing faces. This reduction in brain activity suggests that oxytocin might make faces less attention-grabbing for these children, potentially easing social anxiety. These findings could support the idea that oxytocin’s benefits come from re…