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Category: Communication

Description: The video and slidedeck delivered virtually to the ISPNE meeting on September 7, 2022. Abstract: The neuropeptide oxytocin has garnered considerable interest for its role in social behavior and its potential for the treatment of psychiatric illnesses characterised by social dysfunction, such as autism. However, initial excitement has largely turned to disappointment with some studies failing to replicate earlier results, which has been attributed to issues related to research methods, mechanistic understanding, and theory development. In this talk, Dr. Quintana will discuss his group’s efforts to improve methods for accelerating the translation of oxytocin treatment, including work determining the most effective dosage and evidence for nose-to-brain oxytocin delivery. He will also describe approaches for increasing reproducibility in the field, such as surveying statistical power levels for both positive and null results, and the promise of synthetic datasets, which facilitates the data sharing for reproducing results without compromising participant privacy. Finally, Dr. Quintana will present research that aims to improve theory by answering four questions: how did the oxytocin system evolve, how does the oxytocin system enhance survival, how does the oxytocin system work, and how does the oxytocin system develop in the individual?