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Abstract
Oxytocin has been suggested as a treatment to promote positive social interactions in people with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). However, it is difficult to test this effect outside of the laboratory in realistic social situations. One way to resolve this issue is to study behavioral changes in closely related species with complex social relationships, such as chimpanzees. Here, we use captive, socially housed chimpanzees to evaluate the effects of oxytocin in a socially complex environment. After administering intranasal oxytocin or a placebo to an individual chimpanzee (total n = 8), she was returned to her social group. An experimenter blind to the condition measured the subject's social behavior. We failed to find a behavioral difference between conditions. As one of the goals for oxytocin administration as a treatment for ASD is increasing prosocial behaviors during 'real world' encounters, it is problematic that we failed to detect behavioral changes in our closest living relatives. However, our null findings may be related to methodological challenges such as determining an effective dose of oxytocin for chimpanzees and how long oxytocin takes to cross the blood-brain barrier. Thus, more research on intranasal oxytocin dosing and uptake are needed to continue exploring whether oxytocin changes social behavior in naturalistic settings and as a treatment for ASD.
Highlights
Since the first study suggested that intranasal oxytocin increases trust in humans (Kosfeld, Heinrichs, Zak, Fischbacher, & Fehr, 2005), this hormone has captured the attention of both the scientific field and popular press
As recent reviews have noted, there are problems with the methods and interpretations that intranasal oxytocin promotes positive social interactions (Leng & Ludwig, 2016; Nave, Camerer, & McCullough, 2015; Walum, Waldman, & Young, 2016; Yong, 2015). One such problem for determining whether oxytocin can be used as a treatment for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is that behavioral changes in realistic social contexts are difficult to measure in a lab setting
This type of study could help elucidate our understanding of how oxytocin affects social behavior outside of laboratory experiments with limited social options, an important piece of information given the potential use of oxytocin for individuals with ASD
Summary
Since the first study suggested that intranasal oxytocin increases trust in humans (Kosfeld, Heinrichs, Zak, Fischbacher, & Fehr, 2005), this hormone has captured the attention of both the scientific field and popular press. Chang, Barter, Ebitz, Watson, and Platt (2012) found that two hours post intranasal oxytocin administration rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) were more likely to provide rewards to their partner in a prosocial task than when administered a placebo Results from these types of experiments are not always in the expected direction. This type of study could help elucidate our understanding of how oxytocin affects social behavior outside of laboratory experiments with limited social options, an important piece of information given the potential use of oxytocin for individuals with ASD Due both to their close relationship to humans (Steiper & Young, 2006), as well as their high degree of social complexity (Goodall, 1986), chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) are an ideal species to test the behavioral effects of oxytocin in a social setting
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