ERIC Number: EJ1312078
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021-Nov
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1362-3613
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Oxytocin Levels Tend to Be Lower in Autistic Children: A Meta-Analysis of 31 Studies
John, Simon; Jaeggi, Adrian V.
Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice, v25 n8 p2152-2161 Nov 2021
The oxytocin system may be different in autistic people, which could explain some of the deficits in social behavior and cognition associated with autism spectrum disorder. However, studies comparing oxytocin levels in autistic and neurotypical individuals have shown conflicting results and a 2016 meta-analysis on seven studies concluded that there was no significant difference. Here, we greatly expanded the sample of studies to 31, warranting a reassessment of this finding. We searched Web of Science with MEDLINE®, SciELO Citation Index, and BIOSIS Citation Index for articles that measured oxytocin in plasma/serum (k = 26 studies), saliva (4), or cerebrospinal fluid (1) in autistic individuals (total n = 1233 participants) compared to neurotypical individuals (n = 1304). We found that oxytocin levels were significantly lower in autistic people (Cohen's d = -0.36, 95% confidence interval = [-0.61, -0.10], p = 0.007), with no evidence for publication bias. This overall effect was driven entirely by differences among children (k = 25, d = -0.44, 95% confidence interval = [-0.72, -0.16], p = 0.002) but not adults (k = 6, d = 0.03, 95% confidence interval = [-0.55, 0.61], p = 0.92). These results support further research into the use of oxytocin to treat social deficits in children.
Descriptors: Autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Physiology, Metabolism, Adults, Children, Age Differences, Neurological Impairments
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Information Analyses; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
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Language: English
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