Salivary oxytocin as a biomarker for autism spectrum disorder

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Oxytocin is a secreted, peptide hormone that is involved in modulating a wide range of central and peripheral physiological responses. Most notably, it has been implicated in social behaviors, including parental behavior, the formation of social bonds, and the management of stressful experiences. Given the increased interest and important role of this peptide in mammalian behavior, physiology and disease, there is a critical need to establish valid and reliable methods to measure oxytocin in peripheral fluids, such as saliva. Previously published studies have reported oxytocin measurements in saliva samples, suggesting a non-invasive modality for sample collection in the behavioral sciences. However, major concerns have been raised regarding the validity of these past salivary oxytocin measurements. Over the past decade, salivary diagnostics have received increasing attention as a growing number of systemic diseases (i.e. cancer, cardiovascular, and metabolic diseases