View clinical trials related to Autistic Disorder.
Filter by:Omega-3 fatty acids are among the most commonly used CAM (Complementary Alternative Medical) therapies, and have been reported to be currently used by 28.7% of children with autism. Two published case series noted that families reported large improvements in the core feature of autism when children were given omega-3 fatty acids. Low levels of omega-3 fatty acids have been noted in children with autism, which suggests normalizing the omega-3 fatty acid levels could produce improvements in the symptoms seen in many children with autism. This study is a 12-week randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial for 24 male and female children aged 3 to 8 years with autism. Patients who are currently using omega-3 would need to discontinue omega-3 fatty acids for 8 weeks before they are able to participate in the study. All study participants who meet all inclusion and no exclusion criteria at the initial screening visit and sign the consent form will then complete baseline assessments of the outcome measures (validated instruments of hyperactivity, communication, social interaction, and behavior) and be randomly assigned to 12 weeks of omega-3 fatty acids at a dose of 1 gm per day or an identical placebo. The child's behavior will be measured and evaluated at the MIND Institute at the beginning of the study and at study closing. All study families will come in for a follow-up visit at weeks 4 and 8 to assess medication compliance and side effects to study medication. After 12 weeks of treatment, all outcome measures including laboratory tests and side effect profiles will be repeated. All patients who complete the study will receive a 12-week supply of omega-3. This would also provide patients who were on placebo with active medication. No follow-up visits are needed once the patient finishes the double-blind portion of the study.
The purpose of this study is to examine the safety and efficacy of mecamylamine for the core symptoms of autism.
This study will compare the effectiveness of two parent-based programs for helping young children at risk of autism.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been given a high priority for genetic and neurobiological study. There is no such information in Asian population and no study has conducted using Diffusion Spectrum Imaging (DSI) to investigate the connectivity throughout the world. Moreover, no follow-up study has been done to examine the developmental changes of structural and functional connectivity. We anticipate to establishing a cohort of 50 ASD and their siblings with complete clinical, neuropsychological, brain imaging, and genetic data for longitudinal study on ASD. Our findings will contribute to our understanding of the structural and functional dysconnectivity for ASD and whether dysconnectivity can be an endophenotype for ASD and used as a biomarker for early diagnosis of ASD.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the process of development of autistic children, in a direct and indirect intervention context from mother´s response in Autism Behavior Checklist.
The purpose of this study is to characterize the profile of executive functions and eye movements in several populations of children with developmental disabilities.
Goals of the current project: (1) Does the Early Start Denver Model experimental intervention for toddlers with autism reduce disability associated with autism significantly more than standard community interventions?; and (2) What environmental, child, and biological characteristics mediate and moderate intervention response and outcomes at age 4?
Background: Autism is a complex developmental disorder involving difficulties in verbal and nonverbal communication, social-emotional functioning, and markedly restricted interests and activities. Strong evidence from research conducted with family members of children with autism supports the role of genetic factors in its etiology. Thus, some family members are characterized by the broad autism phenotype (BAP) which involves a clinical picture of milder but qualitatively similar difficulties. Working hypothesis and aims: Researchers recently initiated prospective longitudinal studies investigating the early developmental profiles of young siblings of children with autism (SIBS-A). Such longitudinal SIBS-A study is currently conducted at the Hebrew University and includes the oldest siblings studied to date. Our main aim is to identify siblings who manifest any autism or BAP characteristics. Methods: Two groups, SIBS-A (n = 42) and siblings of children with typical development (SIBS-TD, n = 62), were seen at ages 4, 14, 24, 36, 54 months and 7 years. We plan to continue the investigation at age 10 years, a time when school related abilities and social/emotional competences are more consolidated and to investigate the developmental trajectories of children's abilities from age 4 months to 10 years using growth curve analyses. Expected results: We expect that compared to SIBS-TD, significantly more 10-year-old SIBS-A will display difficulties related to ASD or BAP related difficulties. We also expect to identify different patterns of stability and/or change in the development of children's abilities from age 4 months to 10 years, between the two groups. Importance: This study provides a useful approach for the examination of the main research hypothesis regarding the development of SIBS-A. One of the main advantages of using the growth curve analysis is the identification of early predictive markers for future development. Probable implications to Medicine: This research has significant implication for early identification and the search into the causes of autism and the BAP, as well as for implementation of early treatment and prevention programs. By highlighting expressions of ASD and the BAP in siblings, we may identify early clinically predictive behavioral markers associated with their onset and contribute to the investigation of underlying genetics mechanisms.
This study will test whether donepezil (Aricept(Registered Trademark)), a drug that is approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat Alzheimer's disease, can increase rapid eye movement (REM) sleep in children with autism and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Some children with autism and ASD spend very little time in REM sleep. In some studies, decreased REM sleep has been associated with learning and behavior problems. Donepezil can increase REM sleep in some adults with different disorders. If it can increase REM sleep in children in this study, it might be able to be used in future studies to see if it can help learning and behavior problems in children with autism and ASD. Children between 2 and 10 years of age with autism or an ASD whose percentage of REM sleep time is well below the average for children of the same age may be eligible for this study. Candidates are screened with a medical history, physical and neurological examinations, blood tests, electroencephalogram (EEG) and a sleep study. The sleep study requires an overnight stay at the NIH Clinical Center in which the child is monitored with electrodes for EEG and heartbeat recording, a tube taped below the nose to measure airflow, a probe on a finger to record oxygen levels and a small watch-like machine on the wrist to record movements. Participating children may be required to have up to six overnight stays for sleep studies at the Clinical Center. The children start by taking 1.25 mg of donepezil for 2 to 4 weeks. Then they are admitted to the NIH Clinical Center for a sleep study, blood tests and EKG. Those whose REM sleep increases to normal levels stay on 1.25 mg of donepezil for 8 more weeks, after which they are admitted to the Clinical Center for a final physical examination, blood draw and sleep study. That ends their participation in the study. Children whose REM sleep does not increase to normal on 1.25 mg of donepezil are given a higher dose (2.5 mg) for 2 to 4 weeks, and the above procedure is repeated. Those whose REM sleep does not increase to normal on 2.5 mg of donepezil take 5 mg of the drug for 2 to 4 weeks, and the above procedure is repeated once more. Children whose REM sleep does not increase to normal on 5 mg of donepezil stop the medication and end their participation in the study. At each study visit, study researchers talk to the parents and examine the children to determine if donepezil is affecting the child's behavior and if the child is hav...
Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder will have abnormal DESA® results. Our objective is to use neuroelectrical measures to determine the degree of processing abnormalities in individuals with Autism. The study will survey processing patterns and will locate and evaluate the degree(s) of abnormalities for further study. The abnormal results of comprehensive neuroelectrical evaluations of individuals with Autism when compared to the normative database will provide objective, verifiable, neurophysiological information with which to form novel approaches to the disorder.