Another study links autism with faulty oxytocin receptor
Autism has again been linked to a malfunctioning ability of the bodies oxytocin receptors. A team at Duke University Medical Center has established a relationship between the oxytocin receptor gene and autism. What is novel about this research finding appears to be that the relationship does not concern the DNA sequence itself within the gene, but the gene ‘signature’ that determines whether the gene is switched on or off.
These results provide a possible explanation of why social isolation forms part of the autism spectrum — because an autistic individual’s ability to respond to oxytocin may be limited. Oxytocin has been tied to levels of trust and ability to read social cues.