View clinical trials related to Autistic Disorder.
Filter by:This study examines the effects of a single dose of intranasal oxytocin (vs. placebo) on complex social cognition in adults with autism spectrum disorders.
This research is being done to test the effectiveness of an early intervention model for very young children at high risk for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and their families. If children show improvement in this intervention, the investigators hope that the availability of public services of this type will be increased. Children between 11 months and 21 months old with Autism Spectrum Disorders, or with social and communication delays that indicate high risk for Autism Spectrum Disorders, and their parents may join the study. Treatment must start prior to the second birthday.
Autism spectrum disorders affect as many as 1 out of 150 children and are related to significant impairment in social, adaptive, and school functioning. Co-occurring conditions, such as anxiety, are common and may cause substantial distress and impairment beyond that caused by the autism diagnosis. Although effective interventions have been developed for typically developing youth with anxiety disorders, this approach needs to be adapted for children with autism. Accordingly, we are proposing a randomized controlled trial to examine the effectiveness of CBT relative to treatment as usual (TAU) in 46 youth ages 7-11 with autism spectrum disorders and comorbid anxiety disorder(s).
Comorbid anxiety disorders affect as many as 80% of youth with autism spectrum disorders, causing substantial distress and impairment over and above the autism spectrum diagnosis alone. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the gold standard treatment among typically developing youth with an anxiety disorder and when adapted, shows promise in children with ASD and comorbid anxiety. However, there is currently no psychotherapy protocol tailored to meet the unique needs of young adolescents with Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and comorbid anxiety. Given this, the present study seeks to develop and test a new CBT therapy in adolescents with autism and comorbid anxiety.
The proposed study attempts to deepen our understanding of repetitive behaviors in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and its treatment by examining the changes in key neural circuits associated with risperidone treatment using functional MRI. This study is a substudy of a larger center grant (IRB#07-03-066). Other studies also under this center grant, include: IRB#03-02-085, IRB#95-01-028. All participants will have the option to enter another sub-study, should they meet criteria. The proposed study will address this aim by mounting a controlled trial of 52 children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. After screening assessment, children will enter a three-part study. Phase 1 will be an 8-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled flexible dose trial of risperidone. The extension phase is a 16-week open-label maintenance phase for responders to risperidone or placebo. Non-responders to placebo will be invited to enroll in the eight-week open-label study. 48 of the participants will also undergo fMRI at Week 8 while on blinded treatment, as an optional sub-study. The medication will be dispensed in a liquid suspension and the dose will range from 0.5 mg to 4.0mg.
Background: - Electroencephalography (EEG) records electric patterns produced by the brain, and can detect conditions such as epilepsy or other l abnormalities that may affect brain function. In EEG studies, electric patterns that resemble epileptic seizures are known as epileptiform pattern. These patterns are associated with an increased risk of seizures, even in people who have not been diagnosed with epilepsy. Epileptiform patterns also appear on the EEGs of some children who have autism spectrum disorders but do not have epilepsy. It is unclear if these discharges are related in any way to the symptoms of autism (behavior, language or intellectual abilities). - Divalproex sodium (Depakote) is a drug that has been used for many years to treat epilepsy and other brain disorders in children and adults. Researchers are interested determining whether treatment with divalproex sodium can reduce epileptiform patterns in children with autism spectrum disorders, and in doing so study whether this treatment can improve behavior, language or cognition in children with autism spectrum disorders. Objectives: - To study the effectiveness of using divalproex sodium to reduce epileptiform EEG discharges in children with autism spectrum disorders. Eligibility: - Children between 3 and 10 years of age who have an autism spectrum disorder and show frequent epileptiform discharges on an overnight EEG. Design: - This study will last for a total of 9 months, with 6 months of treatment with either divalproex sodium or a placebo followed by 3 months of treatment with divalproex sodium only. - Potential participants will be screened with a physical examination and medical history, blood samples, and psychological tests, and will spend the night in the NIH Clinical Center to have an overnight EEG. Children with frequent epileptiform abnormalities on the EEG will continue with the study; all others will be considered ineligible. - Eligible participants will receive either divalproex sodium or a placebo to be taken twice daily for 24 weeks. Neither the investigators nor the participants will know which they are taking. - Participants will have regular visits (every 2-4 weeks) to monitor for adverse effects and to test for possible behavioral improvement, and will also have overnight EEG testing at 12 and 24 weeks. - At the end of the 24-week study period, participants will have the option to have an additional 12 weeks of treatment with divalproex sodium. - A final evaluation (including EEG) will be conducted at the end of the final treatment period.
In recent years, there have been a growing number of individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). As such, this increase has expanded the number of caregivers of children with ASD. Research has shown that having a child with an ASD is stressful for caregivers and their families. More specifically, prior research suggests that caregivers of children with ASD may find it difficult to maintain feelings of control and to cope with the overall physical and emotional demands of caring for their child. A previous study of caregivers of children with ASD found that caregivers felt a lack of personal control over aspects of their child s condition and also found it difficult to cope with various demands of caregiving. Furthermore, this study found that greater levels of perceived personal control and the use of problem-focused coping strategies were associated with caregivers adaptation to their child s condition. As such, the goal of our research is to conduct a feasibility study using a coping effectiveness training (CET) intervention designed to enhance perceived personal control (PPC) and coping efficacy in caregivers of children with ASD. There has been a growing interest in developing interventions targeted at constructs involved in the adaptation process. However, there have been few studies of interventions targeting predictors of adaptation such as PPC and coping efficacy. Research has shown that the CET intervention can enhance coping efficacy in several other populations. This intervention also incorporates appraisals of one s ability to change a particular situation. The conceptual framework for our study was adapted from Lazarus and Folkman s Transactional Model of Stress and Coping. A cross-sectional randomized treatment-control design is proposed to evaluate the use of a CET intervention intended to enhance PPC and coping efficacy. Caregivers of children with ASD will be recruited from support groups, autism resource centers, and four clinics. Participants randomized to the treatment group will be asked to complete baseline and follow-up surveys and two 1.5-hour individualized in-person sessions. Participants randomized to the control group will be asked to complete baseline and follow-up surveys and two 1.5-hour individualized in-person client-centered discussion sessions. The main outcome measures will be participation, reasons for withdrawal, participants experiences within the intervention setting and their experiences in applying the intervention, PPC, coping efficacy, and coping effectiveness.
This study is working towards gaining a better understanding of the genetic and environmental factors involved in autism spectrum disorders (ASD), which includes autism, pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), and Asperger's syndrome. The investigators hope that information gained from this study will lead to new ways of diagnosing and treating ASDs.
Neurofeedback, a neuro-cognitive training method based on operant conditioning, will be employed with 90 children with the Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) over a 60 session training period to improve the limiting behavioral and sensory symptoms Autism presents (with each collaborative site working with 45 of the 90 participants). This study seeks to demonstrate that Neurofeedback training, a non-invasive approach based on Learning Theory, will mitigate presenting symptoms of Autism, and ultimately render the person with Autism significantly more able to interact with his/her environment successfully, independently function on a day-to-day basis, and improve overall mental health.
Doctors at MassGeneral Hospital for Children (MGHfC) are doing a research study to learn if a gluten free-dairy free (GFCF) diet is helpful in improving gastrointestinal symptoms associated with autism. Hypothesis: The gluten free/casein free diet (GFCF) will result in a higher proportion of subjects having reduction in gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Primary Study Objective: - To assess the effect of a GFCF diet on GI symptoms associated with ASD. Secondary Objectives: - To assess if improvements in GI symptoms result in improvements in autistic behavior when using a GFCF diet in the dietary management of GI symptoms associated with ASD - To determine the nutritional impact of a GFCF restrictive diet - To assess the role of food allergies in the manifestation of GI symptoms This is a 14-week study that requires between 5 & 9 office visits. All study related activities -including physical exams, blood samples and allergy testing - and an amino acid based supplement drink, are at no cost. Research study visits will take place at MGHfC in Boston, or at Newton Wellesley Hospital in Newton, or at Lurie Center/LADDERS in Lexington.