Tinkering with the vasopressin pathway in autism

Baudouin Forgeot d'Arc^{1

2

3}, Laurent Mottron^{2

3}, Mayada Elsabbagh^{4

5}, Sébastien Jacquemont^{1

6}

Affiliations

¹ CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, Montréal, Quebec H3T 1C5, Canada. sebastien.jacquemont@umontreal.ca b.forgeot@gmail.com.
² Department of Psychiatry, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec H3C 3J7, Canada.
³ Centre intégré Universitaire du Nord-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, Montréal, Quebec H1E 1A4, Canada.
⁴ McGill University, Montréal, Quebec H3A 0G4, Canada.
⁵ Montreal Neurological Institute, Montréal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada.
⁶ Department of Pediatrics, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec H3C 3J7, Canada.

Comment

Baudouin Forgeot d'Arc et al. Sci Transl Med. 2019.

. 2019 May 8;11(491):eaax7315.

doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aax7315.

Baudouin Forgeot d'Arc^{1

2

3}, Laurent Mottron^{2

3}, Mayada Elsabbagh^{4

5}, Sébastien Jacquemont^{1

6}

¹ CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, Montréal, Quebec H3T 1C5, Canada. sebastien.jacquemont@umontreal.ca b.forgeot@gmail.com.
² Department of Psychiatry, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec H3C 3J7, Canada.
³ Centre intégré Universitaire du Nord-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, Montréal, Quebec H1E 1A4, Canada.
⁴ McGill University, Montréal, Quebec H3A 0G4, Canada.
⁵ Montreal Neurological Institute, Montréal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada.
⁶ Department of Pediatrics, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec H3C 3J7, Canada.

Abstract

Two clinical trials targeting the vasopressin pathway in autism highlight continuing challenges in outcome measures and statistical power.

A phase 2 clinical trial of a vasopressin V1a receptor antagonist shows improved adaptive behaviors in men with autism spectrum disorder.
Bolognani F, Del Valle Rubido M, Squassante L, Wandel C, Derks M, Murtagh L, Sevigny J, Khwaja O, Umbricht D, Fontoura P. Bolognani F, et al. Sci Transl Med. 2019 May 8;11(491):eaat7838. doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aat7838. Epub 2019 May 1. Sci Transl Med. 2019. PMID: 31043521 Clinical Trial.
A randomized placebo-controlled pilot trial shows that intranasal vasopressin improves social deficits in children with autism.
Parker KJ, Oztan O, Libove RA, Mohsin N, Karhson DS, Sumiyoshi RD, Summers JE, Hinman KE, Motonaga KS, Phillips JM, Carson DS, Fung LK, Garner JP, Hardan AY. Parker KJ, et al. Sci Transl Med. 2019 May 8;11(491):eaau7356. doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aau7356. Epub 2019 May 1. Sci Transl Med. 2019. PMID: 31043522 Free PMC article. Clinical Trial.