Vasopressin

Recent articles

Larry Young built bridges with his social neuroscience research

Known for his work bringing oxytocin studies to the mainstream, Young died unexpectedly last month.

By Angie Voyles Askham
10 April 2024 | 7 min read
hand points to pause button shape made from pills

Forging a path for vasopressin drugs for autism: Q&A with Suma Jacob

After the vasopressin antagonist balovaptan flopped in a late-stage clinical trial, Suma Jacob and her colleagues took stock of all the factors that might have complicated the results.

By Peter Hess
5 July 2022 | 5 min read
baby grasping an adult hand

Hormone level in infants may predict autism diagnosis

Infants with low levels of the hormone vasopressin in their cerebrospinal fluid may be more likely to later be diagnosed with autism.

By Peter Hess
11 May 2020 | 4 min read

How the social hormone vasopressin might help autistic people

A drug that mimics the hormone vasopressin improves social skills in autistic people — but so does one that blocks vasopressin’s effects. How can seemingly opposing manipulations produce similar results?

By Elizabeth Hammock
9 July 2019 | 4 min read
Nasal spray jetting from bottle on a dark background

Ready or not, two drugs for autism edge closer to clinic

Two drugs that alter the activity of the hormone vasopressin seem to improve social communication in autistic people, but some experts question the findings.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
1 May 2019 | 5 min read

Low brain hormone levels may be reliable marker of autism

Children with autism tend to have low levels of the hormone vasopressin in their brain, according to the largest study yet to look at the levels.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
5 November 2018 | 3 min read

Oversold diets; big brains explained; tracking CRISPR and more

Benefits of diets for autism features remain unproven, variants of the same DNA region make brains big or small, and STAT announces a new CRISPR tracker.

By Emily Willingham
8 June 2018 | 4 min read

Monkey study bolsters case for brain hormone’s role in autism

Male monkeys that avoid touching, grooming or playing with others have low brain levels of the hormone vasopressin.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
29 May 2018 | 6 min read

Predictive brain waves; spotting liars; pet peeve and more

Brain waves in infancy forecast autism, people with more autism features have trouble detecting lies, and veterinarians battle claims that vaccines cause autism in dogs.

By Emily Willingham
4 May 2018 | 4 min read
vasopressin crystal

Optimism, confusion greet federal fast track for autism drug

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted a rare ‘breakthrough therapy’ designation for a drug that may ease some features of autism.

By Emily Willingham
12 February 2018 | 4 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Research image of a portion of mouse brain.

Stress warps fear memories in multiple ways

Expanding the bounds of a fear memory or linking it to a neutral memory can shape a mouse’s fear response, two new studies show.

By Claudia López Lloreda
15 November 2024 | 5 min read
Illustration of overlapping silhouettes of two faces in profile facing a matrix of dots of various colors and sizes.

How to be a multidisciplinary neuroscientist

Neuroscience subfields are often siloed. Embracing an integrative approach during training can help change that.

By Austin Coley
15 November 2024 | 5 min read
Research image of mouse brain slices.

Newfound gene network controls long-range connections between emotional, cognitive brain areas

The finding could help unravel gene regulatory networks and explain how genetic and environmental factors interact in neurodevelopmental conditions.

By Charles Q. Choi
14 November 2024 | 4 min read