«Κοινωνικές» πεπτιδικές ορμόνες ωκυτοκίνη και βασοπρεσίνη: Η συμβολή τους στην αντιμετώπιση διαταραχών του αυτιστικού φάσματος

Abstract

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are a group of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by deficits in social interaction and communication as well as repetitive and stereotyped behaviors and interests, starting at the age of about 2 years and lasting throughout a person's life. The particular increase in the prevalence of ASD over the last two decades has made the need for therapeutic approaches to the disease imperative. Until recently, there were few results in the field of pharmaceutical approaches. There has been a lot of research in recent years on research into drugs that will be able to improve autistic impairments. One of the neurobiological systems of great importance for social functions, promising to provide a solution to the absence of drugs, is the so-called Oxytocin-Vasopressin pathway. In recent years, research has focused on this path and its interconnections for the development of medicinal products that will improve the social functioning of patients with ASD. The neuropeptides oxytocin (OXT) and vasopressin (VP) (or arginine vasopressin AVP) are known to play a role in activating and expressing social behaviors and emotional states. Studies have shown that their presence causes changes in the endocrine system and behavior during social interactions. When administered they affect the CNS through which they change human social behavior. In this way, alone or in combination with other interventions, they can be used to improve the symptoms of people on the autism spectrum. They are already used as the main ingredients of medicines for a completely different path that also participates, that of reproduction. The results of the clinical studies presented in the present study show that their re-targeting could offer an improvement in autistic impairments and consequently in the lives of people on the autism spectrum.