View clinical trials related to Asperger Syndrome.
Filter by: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).
This study will examine the efficacy of a computerized cognitive behavioral therapy (CCBT) program for children with anxiety and autism spectrum disorders.
Due to the considerable prevalence of anxiety in youth with autism spectrum disorders, this study seeks to establish the efficacy of a modified cognitive behavioral therapy protocol in 50 adolescents versus other available treatment options.
This study uses functional brain imaging and noninvasive brain stimulation techniques to study the brain basis of developmental disorders like Autism Spectrum Disorder and Asperger Disorder. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and recently approved FDA treatment of depression, Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) will be used to study the neurocircuitry of certain symptom clusters in developmental disorders.
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) include Autistic disorder, Asperger's syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). These are developmental disorders beginning prior to three years of age. Recent Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates suggest that ASD affects up to 1 in 100 individuals and up to 1 in 50 boys. There are very substantial costs associated with caring for patients with ASD, and ASD has the highest Caregiver Burden Scores of any condition. There are three core symptom domains of ASD, including social deficits, repetitive behaviors and language deficits. Patients can also have associated symptoms of attentional deficits, disruptive behaviors and intellectual disability. There is currently no Food and Drug administration (FDA) approved treatment for the core symptoms of autism, but risperidone and aripiprazole have FDA approval for disruptive behaviors associated with autism. This is a 12 week randomized double blind placebo controlled trial of Milnacipran in adults with ASD or Aspergers Syndrome. Milnacipran is said to play a role in the activation and normalization of the locus coeruleus-noradrenergic system, of which is hypothesized to play a role in behavior adaptations and performance.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a pervasive neurodevelopmental disorder with prominent reciprocal social and communication impairment and restricted repetitive behavior or interest. ASD is a highly heritable disease with tremendous impact on individuals, families, and society. In addition to the interview instruments, self-administered rating scales are commonly used in screening, assessment of symptoms' change, and evaluation of intervention effects. The Social Responsiveness Scale, the Childhood Asperger's Syndrome Test, and the Autism Spectrum Quotient are internationally widely used rating scales measuring autistic traits in both clinical and community samples in western counties. Establishment of internationally-recognized reliable and valid instruments is not only useful for clinical screening, but also helpful in future functional outcomes, neurocognitive, genetic and brain imaging studies.
Many children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience high levels of anxiety which can further inhibit their ability to master developmental tasks such as succeeding in school and developing and maintaining friendships. Despite the need for effective treatments for children with ASD and anxiety, there have been few studies that have addressed this issue. Recently, preliminary evidence has supported the use of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to treat anxiety disorders in children with ASD. This study will utilize a CBT treatment program called Coping Cat. Coping Cat has been found to be one of the most effective treatments for typically developing children with anxiety and has also been shown to be effective for treating anxiety in children with other disorders such as physical impairments, selective mutism, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The investigators goal is to demonstrate that Coping Cat is an effective treatment for children with ASD and anxiety. Finding effective treatments for children with ASD and anxiety could increase adaptive social relationships, decrease stress among families, and prevent the maintenance of anxiety into adulthood.
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.
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.