Oxitozina erabilgarria izan al daiteke autismoan gertatzen den urritasun sozialerako?

Resumen

Autism spectrum disorder is a behaviourally defined neurodevelopmental disorder. It is characterized by two core symptoms: social impairment, and repetitive, restrictive behaviours. Due to its heterogeneous clinical manifestation, complex aetiology and pathophysiology, developing targeted pharmacotherapy is currently a big challenge. Behavioural therapy is the conventional intervention for this disorder; still, most of individuals with autism receive pharmacological treatment to treat associated symptoms, but there is currently no drug available to treat the core symptomatology. Therefore, biomedical research is making an important effort to develop and test new drugs, one of which is oxytocin. Oxytocin is a peptide that acts as a neuromodulator in the central nervous system. Impairments in the oxytocin system during development can influence social behaviour, by modifying synaptic activity and plasticity. In this context, the potential therapeutic use of oxytocin is being studied for social impairment in autism. Several animal models based on monogenic forms of autism show alterations in the oxytocin system, and oxytocin administration improves their social impairments. On the other hand, a significant number of clinical trials with oxytocin in humans are underway. However, unlike research with animal models, there is discrepancy in the results, with some clinical trials showing an improvement in social cognition, whereas others found no effect. This is not unexpected due to the larger heterogeneity in the human population. Consequently, more studies are required to validate the therapeutic usefulness of oxytocin for social impairment in autism and to define which individuals could benefit the most.