View clinical trials related to Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Filter by:Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) feature impairments in social interaction and communication. Drug and behavioral treatments for ASD are undergoing rapid development, yet our diagnostic tools are not suitable for efficacy assessment. The Autism-Diagnosis Observational Schedule (ADOS) is a clinical interview with the child and the gold standard for diagnosis. However, this test is subjective, course grained and costly, precluding repeated tests of the same child to assess treatment efficacy and large-scale control assessments of typically developing (TD) children. For these reasons, the ADOS can impede imaging and genetic research. In light of these concerns, the Oregon Animation Test for Social Reciprocity (OATS) will be developed to evaluate distinct autistic behavioral phenotypes, including joint attention, empathy, imitation, and lack of narrative coherence. The main idea of OATS is that animated characters and social scenarios are presented on a computer screen while the responses of the child are recorded by video camera, microphone, and eye-tracking equipment. Animations are used to test each behavioral phenotype of autism. The long-term vision for OATS is to evaluate behavioral and physiological responses of autistic children, including heart rate variability, pupil dilation, and EEG. Our first objective is to use existing animations to build an OATS "Prototype" that discriminates autistic from normal children (Aim 1). From these results, and use of a defined library of still frame posed images, we will design our own animation platform to assess differences between autistic and normal children (Aim 2).
Anxiety disorders affect 40 to 50% of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), contributing to substantial distress and impairment. The goal of this study is to examine the effectiveness of a personalized type of psychotherapy against standard-care psychotherapy for addressing anxiety in youth with ASD.
Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine are seeking participants for a study examining the effectiveness of vasopressin, a neuropeptide, in treating children with autism spectrum disorder. Difficulty with social interactions is characteristic of people with autism, who often have problems interpreting facial expressions or maintaining eye contact while talking with someone. There are currently no effective medicines available to treat social problems in individuals with autism. Neuropeptides, such as vasopressin and oxytocin, are molecules used by neurons in the brain to communicate with one another. Vasopressin is closely related to oxytocin, which is currently being tested as a treatment for autism, and has been shown to enhance social functioning in animals. Animal studies have shown that when the proper functioning of vasopressin is experimentally altered, animals develop a variety of social deficits, including impaired memory for peers and a reduced interest in social interaction. Researchers found that when vasopressin was administered to mice with a genetically induced form of autism, their social functioning improved. Vasopressin is already approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in humans, and has proved to be a successful treatment for some common pediatric conditions, including bedwetting. Similar to oxytocin, it also has been shown to improve social cognition and memory in people who do not have autism. The researchers will test the effects of vasopressin on social impairments in 50 boys and girls with autism, ages 6 to 12 years old. The study will last four weeks for each participant. Participants will receive either vasopressin or a placebo nasal spray. At the end of this phase of the study, those who received the placebo will have the option of participating in a four-week trial during which they will be given vasopressin. Stanford is the only site for the study. Participants do not need to live locally but will need to come to the Stanford University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences for study visits.
This is a 4 part study: Phase 1a. -functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) ( with oxytocin 24 IU vs. placebo = oxytocin 0 IU) - funded by grant #U54 HD079124-01, Phase 1b-eye-tracking(oxytocin 24 IU vs. placebo = oxytocin 0 IU), Phase 2a. fMRI (oxytocin 8 IU vs. oxytocin 40IU), Phase 2b. -eye-tracking (oxytocin 8IU vs. oxytocin 40IU). Time course of effect will also be assessed within session.
The purpose of this research study is to learn about the effects of supplemental intranasal oxytocin as a treatment for improving social difficulties in children and adolescents with autism. This study will also provide additional information about the safety and tolerability of intranasal oxytocin. Investigators expect oxytocin will increase social motivation, improving daily living skills and quality of life.
This study is an 8-week open-label trial testing oxytocin nasal spray (Syntocinon) as a treatment for social impairment in adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). We hypothesize that oxytocin nasal spray will be safe, tolerable, and effective in improving the core symptoms of autism spectrum disorders in adolescents ages 11-17.
This 3-year study is a trial of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), with or without oxytocin (OT) augmentation, in young adults with autism spectrum disorders. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either a social skills-focused CBT intervention or a stress management/relaxation training CBT intervention. Participants will also be randomized to receive either a) intranasal oxytocin or b) a placebo drug, prior to the psychotherapy. The design of the study will enable examination of the efficacy of CBT for young adults with autism spectrum disorders. The design of the study will also allow examination of whether oxytocin enhances the efficacy of CBT. The investigators will perform functional (fMRI) and structural (MRI) imaging with all participants prior to treatment. This will enable examination of the relations between measures of brain function and structure, and improvements in target symptoms over the course of treatment. The aim is to discover whether there are neural characteristics that can identify which participants with autism spectrum disorders are most likely to respond to CBT interventions and/or oxytocin treatment.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the application of an evidence-based, manualized treatment for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) (Pivotal Response Treatment, PRT) to children ages four through six years of age with ASD. Specifically, children will be randomly assigned to receive either (1) 10 hours per week of intervention services, including two hours per week of parent education, and eight hours per week of direct clinician-delivered services, or (2) a treatment as usual control. Intervention will focus on enhancing the following developmental skills: expressive and receptive language, play, and social interaction. Outcome measures will address changes in the aforementioned domains during structured observation and standardized assessment.
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are early onset chronic conditions coined by deficits in social reciprocity, communication and stereotypic interests and activities. Other functional impairments such as mental retardation, ADHD, known genetic syndromes and epilepsy are frequent coexisting problems. ASD cause considerable suffering for the affected individuals and burden for their families. With an estimated prevalence exceeding 1%, recent population-based studies suggest that ASD are no rare phenomena. Lifetime societal costs for services and support, together with the opportunity costs of lost productivity in a prototypic developed country are estimated SEK 15.6 million for someone with and SEK 10.3 million for a person without co-existing mental retardation. Despite ongoing efforts, no diagnostically informative biomarker has yet been identified for ASD. The development, refinement and evaluation of behavioral assessment tools has therefore been decisive to progress and quality assurance in ASD clinical practice and research. The most widely used and thoroughly evaluated instruments for ASD in international child mental health are the Autism Diagnostic Interview- Revised (ADI-R) and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS). The ADI-R and ADOS are deemed highly by the ASD expert community and thus commonly labeled as being the "gold standard" in ASD diagnostics. Although, Swedish translations of the ADI-R and ADOS exist, a Swedish standardization and cross-cultural validation is still lacking, impeding good clinical practice and research prerequisites for ASD in Sweden. The applied project seeks to broadly establish reliability and validity of the Swedish translations of the ADI-R and ADOS in order to enhance evidence-based clinical practice and stimulate internationally competitive ASD research in Sweden.
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.