Independent Max Planck Research Group for Social Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.
Graduate School, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
Sci Rep. 2024 Jan 16;14(1):1380. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-50770-5.
Oxytocin (OXT) is known to modulate social behavior and cognition and has been discussed as pathophysiological and therapeutic factor for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). An accumulating body of evidence indicates the hypothalamus to be of particular importance with regard to the underlying neurobiology. Here we used a region of interest voxel-based morphometry (VBM) approach to investigate hypothalamic gray matter volume (GMV) in autistic (n = 29, age 36.03 ± 11.0) and non-autistic adults (n = 27, age 30.96 ± 11.2). Peripheral plasma OXT levels and the autism spectrum quotient (AQ) were used for correlation analyses. Results showed no differences in hypothalamic GMV in autistic compared to non-autistic adults but suggested a differential association between hypothalamic GMV and OXT levels, such that a positive association was found for the ASD group. In addition, hypothalamic GMV showed a positive association with autistic traits in the ASD group. Bearing in mind the limitations such as a relatively small sample size, a wide age range and a high rate of psychopharmacological treatment in the ASD sample, these results provide new preliminary evidence for a potentially important role of the HTH in ASD and its relationship to the OXT system, but also point towards the importance of interindividual differences.
催产素(OXT)被认为可以调节社会行为和认知,并且被认为是自闭症谱系障碍(ASD)的病理生理和治疗因素。越来越多的证据表明,下丘脑对于潜在的神经生物学具有特别重要的意义。在这里,我们使用了基于体素的形态计量学(VBM)方法,对自闭症患者(n = 29,年龄 36.03 ± 11.0)和非自闭症患者(n = 27,年龄 30.96 ± 11.2)的下丘脑灰质体积(GMV)进行了研究。外周血浆 OXT 水平和自闭症谱系商(AQ)用于相关性分析。结果显示,自闭症患者与非自闭症患者的下丘脑 GMV 没有差异,但提示下丘脑 GMV 与 OXT 水平之间存在差异关联,即 ASD 组存在正相关。此外,下丘脑 GMV 与 ASD 组的自闭症特征呈正相关。考虑到样本量相对较小、年龄范围广以及 ASD 样本中精神药理学治疗率高的限制,这些结果为 HTH 在 ASD 中的潜在重要作用及其与 OXT 系统的关系提供了新的初步证据,但也表明了个体差异的重要性。