Life for people with a genetic condition called Prader-Willi syndrome, which affects about one in 15,000 people can be difficult for both the patient and family. Patients have an insatiable hunger that can lead to obesity in life-threatening if access to food is not limited. And worse, they have similar behavioral problems in autism. Tantrums and tears are common because these patients have difficulty understanding the motivations of others and control their own emotions. But the treatment of brain hormone oxytocin can help bring the two emotions and eating balance, according to a new study.
Several indicators have highlighted the potential of oxytocin, often considered the "hormone of trust." Research on the brain tissue donated after death in patients with Prader-Willi showed that the hypothalamus (the thermostat of the body) shows abnormalities in nerve cells that produce the hormone. in addition, the hypothalamus releases oxytocin in response to social interaction touching, relaxation and confidence-all the things that people with Prader-Willi syndrome have problems with. And oxytocin treatments improved social skills of autistic patients. Finally, the hormone is thought to contribute to a feeling of fullness after eating, "satiety" in the language scientific.
to see if oxytocin could benefit people with Prader-Willi syndrome, endocrinologist Maïthé Tauber of the Children's Hospital of Toulouse, France, and colleagues injected oxytocin or placebo in 24 adult patients nose. The researchers monitored the patients' behavior; they also used cartoon stories to test understanding of social interactions and patients face images to see how they could recognize emotions.
For the two days that patients were studied after treatment, that were given oxytocin were significantly more confident and less sad. They were less disruptive and had fewer conflicts with others. They also had higher scores on tests assessing social understanding, compared to placebo group.
The study, which appears online today in the Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases , focused on behavioral issues, which says Tauber "are more difficult to control than the food intake. " However, patients ate less after treatment with oxytocin, and five do not finish everything on their plates, which says Tauber is unusual in Prader-Willi syndrome.
"The search for Tauber and his colleagues is meticulous and very exciting," says Daniel Driscoll, a geneticist at the University of Florida in Gainesville. There is currently no cure for the disease except behavior modification and diet control. Driscoll said a better understanding of the role of brain chemicals like oxytocin may lead to better treatments for various stages of this complex disorder.
the authors write that although the longer-term, larger studies are needed, this work opens new perspectives for patients with Prader-Willi syndrome. "Because previous research shows abnormal secretion of oxytocin, we hope that the treatment can not only improve mood and behavior of the patient, but also help correct the underlying problem, "says Tauber.
0 Komentar