View clinical trials related to Autistic Disorder.
Filter by:The study will investigate the effects of an intranasal administration of oxytocin (OT) to parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) on the quality of mother-father-child interactions. Physiological and behavioral measures of parent-child triadic interaction quality will be assessed. H1: Parents who receive OT will demonstrate greater parental engagement and nonverbal prosocial behaviors compared to parents who receive placebo. H2: Children with ASD whose parents receive OT will have increased nonverbal prosocial behaviors during the discussion and play tasks compared to children whose parents' receive placebo. H3: Parents who receive OT will demonstrate increased behavioral and physiological synchrony with their child during the discussion and play tasks compared to parents who receive placebo and their child.
We are studying an investigational drug called intranasal oxytocin (Syntocinon®). Syntocinon® has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in helping women breastfeed, but it has not been approved for use in children with ASD. However, there is previous research conducted that has indicated that after administration of oxytocin, adults with ASD demonstrated improvements in social cognition, and reduced repetitive behaviours and anxiety. There is also early research to suggest that children may also benefit in these areas. The purpose of this study is to test if oxytocin works to help children and adolescents with ASD.
Background: - Some children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) do not have normal sleep cycles. Some of these children spend very little time in the rapid eye movement (REM) stage of sleep. Some studies suggest that less time in REM sleep can be associated with learning and behavior problems. Donepezil is a medication used to treat Alzheimer s disease. Donepezil can increase REM sleep in some adults with different disorders. A small study showed that Donepezil can also increase REM sleep in children with ASD. Researchers now want to see if Donepezil can improve communication skills and social interaction in children with ASD. They also want to see if any change in symptoms seems to come from changes in REM sleep. Objectives: - To see if a medication, Donepezil, can improve the way communication skills and social interaction develop in young children with autism spectrum disorders. Eligibility: - Children 22 to 44 months of age with ASD. Design: - Participants will be screened with a blood test, heart tests, and a sleep study. During the sleep study, children will sleep in a darkened room for 2 nights with electrodes on their body and a tube under their nose. Parents can sleep in the room with their child. A technician will monitor the room all night. - Participants will take the study medication once a day. - Treatment will be monitored at visits every 3 months. At each visit the participant will take blood tests, heart tests, or behavior tests. Participants will have 2 more sleep studies. - Participation will end after 18 months.
The investigators will assess the efficacy of parent delivered interventions in the treatment of social and communication deficits in children with autism. By collecting information about parent and child functioning before and after intervention, the investigators will be able to determine whether the intervention is effective in improving child social communication and reducing parent stress.
This is a research study examining the effectiveness of pivotal response treatment group (PRTG) in targeting language skills in young children with autism. Research has demonstrated that behavioral interventions, such as Pivotal Response Training (PRT), lead to improvements in the core symptoms of autism. The purpose of this study is to further examine the effectiveness of teaching pivotal response treatment to parents of children with autism in a group format. To determine the effectiveness of pivotal response training group (PRTG) it will be compared to another parent education group by conducting a randomized controlled 12-week trial.
This study will assess the tolerability and effectiveness of pregnenolone in the treatment of behavioral deficits in adults with autism. Pregnenolone is a naturally occurring hormone found in the body which has been shown to help with the function of nerve cells. It is also shown to modulate the activity of certain brain receptors implicated in autism. We hope to examine the tolerability of pregnenolone in adults with autism.
This trial investigates the behavioral effects of manualized social skills training (KONTAKT) in children´s and adolescents with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder with psychiatric comorbidity in a RCT, multicenter study. N = 288 are recruited from 10 child and adolescent psychiatric clinics in Stockholm County. The examination of genetic variants as predictors for outcome and a qualitative study of KONTAKT complete the trial.
The purpose of this research study is to establish a way to help the development of targeted treatments in autism spectrum disorders. This may also help in early diagnosis of autism and may possibly predict severity. The study will compare subject's ERK (extracellular signal-related kinase) signaling to age- and gender-matched neurotypical controls and Intelligence quotient (IQ)-matched developmental disabilities.
The main objective of this exploratory 8-week pilot study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of buspirone for the treatment of anxiety in youth (ages 6-17 years) with autism spectrum disorders. The study results will be used to generate hypothesis for a larger randomized controlled clinical trials with explicit hypotheses and sufficient statistical power.
The objective of this study is to validate a social skills training program manual for adolescents (ages 13-17) with Asperger's Syndrome or high functioning autism. Approximately 150 adolescents with autism spectrum disorders will participate in this study, in groups consisting of 6 adolescents and 6 peer volunteers. Participants will participate in both group therapy and peer generalization sessions (in the form of a photography class) once a week over the course of twelve weeks. Participants and their parents will complete paper and pencil, online, or phone measures and video-recordings to assess the participant's social skills prior to the intervention, at completion of the intervention and three months later.