Study of Oxytocin in Autism to Improve Reciprocal Social Behaviors

There is a tremendous unmet need for accessible treatments that address core symptoms of ASD
and are safe for sustained use. The Study of Oxytocin in ASD to improve Reciprocal Social
Behaviors or (SOARS-B) will test a very promising potential treatment−intranasal oxytocin−for
ASD's fundamental social communication deficits in a large, group of verbal and nonverbal
children. SOARS-B will also provide information about the regulation of DNA methylation and
transcription of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR), as well as other genes relevant to
oxytocin's CNS activity, as a function of time and in response to oxytocin treatment. These
data will fill a key gap in our understanding of oxytocin's role in ASD and its ability to
alter epigenetic modifications of the OXTR.

Inclusion Criteria:

- Be between the ages of 3 years 0 months and 17 years 11 months at the time of
randomization

- Be diagnosed by clinician experienced in assessment of ASD with autistic disorder,
Asperger's syndrome, or PDD-NOS using DSM-V-TR criteria

- Must have clinical diagnosis of ASD confirmed using the Autism Diagnostic Observation
Scale (ADOS, Lord et al., 2001)

- Must have clinical diagnosis of ASD confirmed using the Autism Diagnostic
Interview-Revised (ADI-R, Rutter, 2003). ASD criteria proposed by Risi (2006).
Specifically, subject must be within 1 point of autism criteria on both social and
communication domains of the ADI or meet autism criteria in one of these ADI domains
and come within 2 points of autism criteria in the other

- Have a guardian who is able to provide informed consent

- If cognitively able, subject must be able to provide informed assent/consent

Exclusion Criteria:

- Have a known diagnosis of Rett Syndrome or Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, or have
marked sensory impairment such as deafness or blindness

- Have active cardiovascular disease or renal disease that is not controlled by
medication

- Subjects who are pregnant, lactating, or who refuse to practice contraception if
sexually active

- Subjects who have had changes in allied health therapies, behavioral or educational
interventions within the two months prior to randomization other than those associated
with school holidays

- Subjects who have had changes in psychiatric medications within 4 weeks of
randomization

- Subjects who have had previous chronic treatment with oxytocin

- Subjects who have caretakers who are unable to speak English, be consistently present
at visits to report on symptoms, or are otherwise judged as unable to comply with the
protocol by the data collection site team

- Subjects with active seizures within the 6 months preceding screening or baseline.