Understanding Oxytocin's Neural and Behavioral Effects in Adolescents Diagnosed With Autism

The investigators explored the neural and behavioral effect of oxytocin on youth with Autism spectrum disorder using magnetoencephalography (MEG). The investigators hypothesize that oxytocin will modulate neural activity to resemble patterns observed in the age-matched control group. Thirty-two adolescents with autism and 26 typically developing adolescents participated in this randomized, double-blind MEG study. Individuals with autism arrived at the lab twice and received an acute dose of intranasal oxytocin or placebo in each session. During the scans, participants were asked to complete several tasks related to social perception - such as identification of social and non-social stimuli.