View clinical trials related to Asperger's Disorder.
Filter by:The purpose of this study is to examine the use of, and reaction to, one particular software application(GroundsKeeper) delivered on unique platform - Sifteo cubes (www.sifteo.com). The hypothesis is that the use of these devices will increase engagement, motivation, interest, and have perceived benefits to users with unique attention-limiting cognitive disabilities. How does the observation of and user feedback from gameplay reveal areas of improvement for the game, strengths, and perceptions of value among the players and adults?
In addition to the core symptoms, children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often exhibit disruptive behavior problems including irritability, tantrums, noncompliance, and aggression. This is a pilot study of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, also known as Anger Control Training, in adolescents with high-functioning ASD. CBT teaches children to recognize antecedents and consequences of problem behavior and to use emotion regulation and problem-solving skills to reduce irritability, aggression and noncompliance. This form of CBT has been well-studied in typically developing children with disruptive behavior and we are investigating if this treatment can be feasible and helpful, with appropriate modifications, for irritability and disruptive behavior in ASD.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and tolerability of memantine in pediatric (6-12 years old) patients with autism, Asperger's Disorder, or Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) and to identify responders for participation in a follow-up randomized withdrawal study.
The purpose of this randomized withdrawal study is to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of memantine compared with placebo in pediatric patients with autism, Asperger's Disorder, or Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS).
The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of D-cycloserine for improving social impairment in child with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD).
This study is a pre-test, post-test single group design with follow-up at month three. Twenty-four individuals total will participate in this study with 6 participants in each of 4 cohorts. Participants and their parents will complete pre-test measures including both paper and pencil measures and a video-recording to assess the participant's social interaction skills and fluency. These adolescents will participate in both group therapy and peer generalization sessions once a week over the course of twelve weeks. Upon completion of the intervention, participants and parents will complete paper and pencil and video post-test measures. Participants will be encouraged to participate in one follow-up session where the paper and pencil and video measures will be completed again.
The study will evaluate the effectiveness of atomoxetine (Strattera) with and without Parent Management Training (PMT) in children with Autism, Asperger's Disorder, or Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDDNOS) who have symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This is a double-blind placebo, parallel study where the atomoxetine will have a dose titration over a 6 week period. All children will be seen weekly during this titration period, with additional visits at Week 8 and Week 10. Families assigned to the PMT arm will have an additional weekly meeting with a clinician for a total of 9 PMT visits. PMT involves teaching parents to implement behavioral interventions with their children. Subjects who are clinical responders (ADHD Responders and Compliance Responders) from the 10 week study period will be followed every 4 weeks in a 24-week extension study. Subjects who are clinical nonresponders will continue in PMT if they received PMT during the double-blind phase, and they will receive an open trial of atomoxetine if they were on placebo during the double-blind phase. All subjects (responders and nonresponders) will be invited to participate in follow-up assessments every 4 weeks for 24 weeks after the completion of the double-blind phase.
Theory of mind (ToM) refers to the ability to infer others mental states. It includes a recognition that other individuals experience thoughts, feelings, intentions, and desires that may be different to our own. ToM is often impaired among individuals with an autism spectrum disorder (such as autism and Asperger's disorder), and may underlie aspects of social dysfunction in this population. Indeed, it has been suggested that impaired ToM is the core deficit of autism and Asperger's disorder. Imaging studies suggest that the bilateral medial prefrontal cortex, the most important brain region in ToM processing, is underactive in autism. The current study examines whether repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to the bilateral medial prefrontal cortex can modulate ToM ability among healthy adults, and improve ToM ability among adults with autism or Asperger's disorder. With the prevalence of autism increasing, there is a clear need to develop appropriate therapeutic interventions to improve social functioning. This study involves a double-blind study using high-frequency rTMS in an attempt to improve ToM among adults with either autism or Asperger's disorder. Theory of mind will be measured using behavioural tasks that require the participant to infer what someone is thinking or feeling by observing their behaviour. These tasks will administered both before and after rTMS to determine whether any change in theory of mind has occurred. Thirty adults with either autism (n = 15) or Asperger's disorder (n = 15) will initially undergo functional and structural MRI to determine the site on the scalp that lies over the medial prefrontal cortex (to which rTMS will be administered). They will then attend our lab each consecutive weekday for a two-week period, during which they will 15 minutes high-frequency (5 Hz) rTMS (either active or sham) to the medial prefrontal cortex. ToM and clinical measures will be collected before the first session, soon after the last session, and one month after the last session. Based on prior imaging data, it is expected that high-frequency rTMS (compared with sham rTMS) to the medial prefrontal cortex will improve ToM ability and reduce social dysfunction among adults with autism or Asperger's disorder. Should these hypotheses be supported, it will indicate the suitability of rTMS as a neurobiological intervention designed to improve ToM and social function among individuals with autism and related disorders.
This study will be an open-label, 12-week trial of risperidone in subjects with Asperger's Disorder, according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV (DSM-IV) Criteria. The study has two arms, one involving pre- and post-treatment MRS studies, and one without MRS. The MRS arm will study 18-20 subjects ages 6 and above, with a target of 14 completing patients. For both arms, we plan to a enroll at total of 30 patients to achieve completion for 24 patients. The non-MRS arm of the study will include subjects 6-18 years of age, the bulk of which have completed the study as of the writing of this updated revision. Our hypotheses are that treatment of Asperger's patients with a low dose of risperidone will: 1. decrease ratios of N-acetylaspartate (NAA), creatine, phosphocreatine (Cr + PCr), and choline in the prefrontal lobe, and 2. decrease the severity of negative symptoms and overall improve social behavior, and 3. that the two will be correlated. Specific Aims The primary objectives of this trial are to: - Further assess and investigate the utility of risperidone in the treatment Asperger's disorder. - Assess the efficacy of risperidone in normalizing increased frontal lobe metabolites. - Assess the efficacy of risperidone in normalizing symptoms in Asperger's disorder patients using standardized rating scales to assess the impact on negative symptoms and on social interaction. - Determine whether risperidone's effect on clinical improvement of Asperger's disorder, i.e., negative symptoms, is correlated with normalization of frontal lobe metabolites - Accrue safety and tolerability data on risperidone for this population of patients. This information could potentially be used to provide pilot data for a double blind trial
The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of aripiprazole monotherapy in the treatment of children and adolescents suffering from ASD over a 12-week period. We hypothesize that aripiprazole may be helpful in reducing ASD-associated symptoms of anxiety and aggression, resulting in significant improvements in global outcome.