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Preliminary results
New experiments show that two drugs seem to improve the social and communication skills of people with autism spectrum disorders, according to Spectrum.
But scientists warn against considering recent studies as conclusive evidence that these drugs could help treat the symptoms associated with autism. This is a conflict that highlights, above all, the fact that autism is a complicated condition that requires rigorous study before researchers embark on general statements about potential treatments.
Opposing effects
Both studies were published Wednesday in the journal Translational medicine science. One of them showed that men with autism who took a high dose of balovaptan had demonstrated better social skills and communication skills. Balovaptan decreases the effects of vasopressin, a hormone related to social behavior, on the brain.
But paradoxically, Spectrum reports that the other study has shown that a nasal spray of vasopressin improves the social skills of autistic pre-adolescents.
Take two
Spectrum reports that the science linking vasopressin to autism is contradictory, with different studies linking too high a concentration and too low a concentration of vasopressin and an autism spectrum disorder, a divergence highlighted by the opposite effects of the two. new studies.
The problem may come from the fact that changes in social skills were assessed using questionnaires – an insufficiently rigorous measure to evaluate a new drug.
"The results of a small study can be misleading," said Lawrence Scahill, clinical director of the Marcus Autism Center. Spectrum. Scahill did not contribute to any of these experiences. "And when you have so many outcome measures in a small study, it's possible that some things become statistically significant by chance."
READ MORE: Ready or not, two drugs for autism at the edge of the clinic[[[[Spectrum]
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