View clinical trials related to Autistic Disorder.
Filter by:The primary objective of this study is to evaluate and compare the safety and efficacy of Trichuris suis ova (TSO) therapy (versus placebo) in pediatric patients with autism. Evaluation of the safety and tolerability of treatment with TSO in the target population across the dose range being tested is considered a primary objective, while the primary efficacy objective will be assessed via the change from baseline in the Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC) subscale scores. Dose response will be considered a primary objective as well. Secondary assessments of efficacy will be assessed via: • The change from baseline in the Clinical Global Impression scale (CGI-I)
Background: - Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a functional imaging technique that can be uses light to study brain function while allowing for movement. To look at blood flow in the brain, NIRS uses a low-power light source with detectors that see how the light changes as it passes through brain tissue. Brain blood flow can indicate which parts of the brain are active during different tasks. Researchers want to study children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and will use NIRS to compare the blood flow in the brain of children with ADHD and ASD with that of typically developing children. Objectives: - To see how well NIRS can detect changes in brain blood flow during tests of thinking and memory in children. - To compare blood flow in the brains of typically developing children and those with ADHD or ASD. Eligibility: - Children between 4 and 8 years of age with ASD, ADHD, or children with no psychiatric diagnoses. Design: - Participants will be screened for eligibility. Those who are taking stimulant medication for ADHD or ASD will need to stop taking it for 3 days before the study visit. - After participating in a screening assessment, all participants will have one study visit. At this visit, they will have be asked to complete two tasks during a NIRS scan. For both tasks, they will react to images on a computer screen. This visit will last about 2 hours. - This is a testing study only. No blood or other samples will be needed for this study.
This is an open-label extension protocol that will provide necessary data on the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and efficacy of STX209 among subjects with ASD.
Researchers at Arkansas Children's Hospital Research Institute are conducting a study looking at the effects of Folinic Acid on language in Autism Spectrum Disorder and language impairment. The study has 3 phases. Phase 1 confirms that your child has language impairment (there is no compensation for this visit). If language impairment is verified in the phase 1 screening, then your child will be eligible for phase 2. Phase 2 consists of receiving 12 weeks of folinic acid or an inactive placebo, in addition to several evaluations of your child's abilities and a single blood test. Children that complete phase 2 will be eligible for a 12 week open-label trial of folinic acid which is phase 3.
The objective of this study is to evaluate the long-term safety and tolerability of memantine in the treatment of pediatric patients with autism, Asperger's Disorder or Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS).
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.
The study aims to evaluate whether or not an EEG (a type of brain scan) is useful in diagnosing youth with either ADHD, BPD, ASD. Youth with ADHD, BPD, ASD, and healthy controls (without ADHD, BPD, and ASD) will undergo an EEG, and the results will be analyzed using brain activity flow pattern analysis (BAFPA). Twenty subjects with each disorder and twenty without any of the disorders under study (controls) will be evaluated. All subjects will be comprehensively assessed with structured diagnostic interviews and neuropsychological testing. All EEG analyses will be conducted under blind conditions. Conditional probability and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses will examine the diagnostic utility of the EEG scan, using the clinical diagnosis of ASD as the gold standard.
Autism is a developmental disorder characterized by abnormalities in speech and communication, impaired social functioning, and repetitive behaviors and interests. The term "Autism spectrum disorders" or ASD is often used to include autistic disorder, Asperger syndrome and pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS). Epidemiological research suggests that ASDs affect at least 60 per 10,000 youth, with estimates as high as 120 per 10,000. Severity of autistic features is not easily defined and the use of different diagnostic tools compounds the ability to lay a clear cut definition. It is, though, generally accepted that children with autism and normal IQ (>70) are "high functioning" regardless of the severity of their autistic features. The investigators will use the terms "autism" and "ASD" interchangeably, and the term "low functioning autism" will be used to describe those children with autism who have, or are presumed to have, IQ<70. The pathophysiology of autism has been studied extensively in the last decade. Abnormal neuronal connectivity has been implicated in a growing body of research. In addition, areas of over and/or under neuronal activation have been detected on functional MRI(Magnetic Resonance Imaging). Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) is a noninvasive technique that allows to affect brain activity. The pulses are administered by passing high currents through an electromagnetic coil placed adjacent to a patient's scalp. The pulses induce an electric field in the underlying brain tissue. When the induced field is above a certain threshold, and is directed in an appropriate orientation relative to the brain's neuronal pathways, localized axonal depolarizations are produced, thus activating the neurons in the relevant brain structure. rTMS has been studied in individuals with high functioning autism. rTMS treatment was found to have an electrophysiological effect and to reduce repetitive behaviors and improved social functioning. In the context of existing pilot data suggesting effect of rTMS treatment in individuals with high functioning autism, the investigators propose a pilot study to assess the efficacy of rTMS in children and adolescents with low functioning autism.
Background: - People with autism and autism spectrum disorders have problems with communication, behavior, and socializing, and many also have intellectual and developmental disabilities. The cause of autism is not known, but previous research has suggested an association between autism and immune changes in the brain. Researchers are interested in using the experimental radioactive drug (11C)PBR28, which attaches to a protein in the brain that is involved in immune changes, in positron emission tomography (PET) scanning of people with and without autism to see if there are greater immune changes in those with autism. Objectives: - To determine if positron emission tomography scanning can be used to evaluate changes in an immune system protein in the brains of people with autism. Eligibility: - Individuals between 18 and 45 years of age who have been diagnosed with either autism or autism spectrum disorders, or are healthy volunteers. Design: - Participants will be screened with a physical examination and psychological examination, medical history, questionnaires about behavior and mood, and blood and urine tests. - Participants will have two imaging studies of the brain at separate study visits. The first study visit will involve a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan to provide a baseline image of the brain. The second study visit will involve PET scan with the radioactive chemical (11C)PBR28 to study immune system proteins in the brain. The MRI scan will take about 40 minutes, and the PET scan will take about 2 hours. - Participants will have a final study visit 24 hours after the PET scan to provide a final blood sample for testing.
The primary aim of this study is to examine the efficacy and tolerability of short-term omega-3 fatty acids monotherapy in youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The investigators hypothesize that Omega-3 fatty acids will be efficacious in improving the core and associated features of ASD in youth, and that Omega-3 fatty acids monotherapy will be safe and well tolerated by youth with ASD. The secondary aim of this study is to examine the neuropsychological effect of Omega-3 fatty acids monotherapy in youth with ASD. The investigators hypothesize that omega-3 fatty acids will be efficacious in improving cognitive functions in youth with ASD.