All things Psychology

Autism and its related condition, Asperger’s syndrome, have been in the news quite a bit lately.

First, in a move that probably infuriated Jenny McCarthey, the prestigious medical journal Lancet fully retracted a study linking the MMR vaccine to Autism. (Lancet link, Guardian article).

Then, a draft of the DSM-V was released for comment and no longer included Asperger’s syndrome as a separate diagnosis, but rather as a part of a Autism Spectrum Disorder category (link).

Finally, a new study has shown that the hormone oxytocin may have therapeutic benefits for individuals with autism. When these adult participants inhaled the hormone they were more likely keep eye contact, use social cues in games, and responded better to facial expressions. (Reuters article)

-posted by Tyler