Children with autism frequently receive psychotropic medications

ScienceDaily (May 2, 2010) ? Behavioral interventions typically are the first line of treatment to manage unwanted behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). If behaviors do not improve, medications frequently are added to the mix.

Research conducted by Autism Speaks' Autism Treatment Network (ATN) shows that use of psychotropic medications is common among children with ASD, with 27 percent of those enrolled in the network registry receiving at least one medication to manage their behavior. The most common reasons for medication use were hyperactivity, repetitive behaviors, irritability and attentional concerns.

Results of the study, and three others conducted by the ATN, was presented May 2 at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

An estimated one in 110 U.S. children has autism, a group of complex developmental brain disorders that affect behavior, social skills and communication.

Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved only two medications to treat certain symptoms seen in ASD, many other medications are used to treat a variety of symptoms exhibited by these children.

ATN researchers sought to identify which medicines are prescribed for children on the autism spectrum and how frequently they are used. The ATN, which includes 14 treatment and research centers in the United States and Canada, enrolls patients ages 2-18 years with a diagnosis of autism, Asperger's syndrome or pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS).

Medication data were available for 415 children in the registry. Results showed that 112 (27%) were receiving at least one psychotropic medication for their behavior. Of these 112 children, 46% were taking two or more medications.

In addition, medication use was more common in older children: 60 percent of youths ages 11 and older took at least one medication compared to 44 percent of children ages 6-10 years, 11 percent of those ages 3-5 and 4 percent of children younger than 3.

The most common medications prescribed were stimulants, which are used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Symptoms of ADHD are among the most common problem behaviors reported by parents of children on the autism spectrum.

Risperidone, an atypical antipsychotic, also was prescribed frequently. The FDA has approved risperidone for the treatment of irritability, including aggression, temper tantrums, self-injurious behavior and quickly changing moods associated with ASD.

"Additional research to better define which children with ASD and to identify which specific symptoms respond best to which medication would improve treatment decisions for this population," said Daniel Coury, MD, medical director of the ATN and professor of pediatrics and psychiatry at The Ohio State University.

Autism Speaks' Autism Treatment Network (ATN) is the first network of hospitals and physicians dedicated to developing a model of comprehensive medical care for children and adolescents with autism. The ATN offers families care from doctors highly experienced in helping individuals with autism and providing treatment for associated conditions such as gastrointestinal and sleep disorders, while disseminating best practices to the greater medical community.

Editor's Note: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by American Academy of Pediatrics, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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Uniform method to interpret autism spectrum disorders

ScienceDaily (Jan. 5, 2010) ? A researcher from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev has defined a new, integrated interpretation of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), which makes it easier to understand both the commonalities and differences between ASD and other conditions.

In an article published in the December 2009 issue of The Neuroscientist, Dr. Dorit Ben Shalom recommends a uniform approach to evaluating and confronting the four common problems associated with ASD.

"The main criterion defining Autism Spectrum Disorders is difficulty in emotional-social behavior," explains Dr. Ben Shalom of Ben-Gurion University's Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, in Beer-Sheva, Israel. "Nevertheless, many people with ASD have some difficulties in three other domains -- memory, perception and motor behavior."

In her theoretical model, Dr. Ben Shalom recommends a uniform way to think about these four types of difficulties, which she believes are linked by a common brain structure/brain function connection involving the medial prefrontal cortex. This approach makes it easier to understand both commonalities and differences between ASD and other conditions, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This approach will make it possible to test predictions about the location of these brain networks, how they function differently in people with ASD and how to use this knowledge to design interventions and compensatory strategies.

According to the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health, ASD is more common in the pediatric population than better known disorders, such as diabetes, spinal bifida or Down syndrome. A recent study of a U.S. metropolitan area estimates that 3.4 of every 1,000 children between 3 and 10 years-old have Autism.

Editor's Note: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

Journal Reference:

Dorit Ben Shalom. The Medial Prefrontal Cortex and Integration in Autism. The Neuroscientist, 2009; 15 (6): 589 DOI: 10.1177/1073858409336371

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How to measure attention span of a fly: Implications for ADHD, autism in humans

ScienceDaily (Jan. 26, 2010) ? An Australian-German team of scientists at Freie Universitat and the Queensland Brain Institute in Brisbane, Australia, has found a way to measure the attention span of a fly. The findings could lead to further advances in the understanding of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism in humans.

Associate Professor Bruno van Swinderen at the Queensland Brain Institute in Brisbane and Dr. Bjorn Brembs at Freie Universitat combined genetic techniques with brain recordings and behavioral testing. They found different mutations that either increase or decrease a fly's attention span.

Using the genetic fruit fly model, Drosophila melanogaster, van Swinderen found that a fly's level of distractibility is finely tuned to allow "normal" behavioral responses to a constantly changing environment. He said, "We now have the two ends of an attention spectrum in our model. We have a fly memory mutant that is hard to distract and another fly memory mutant that's too distractible. They both have the same result -- they don't learn well but for completely different reasons, not unlike human patients afflicted with autism and ADHD."

The fruit flies were fed methylphenidate, which is sold under the brand name Ritalin and is used to treat patients with ADHD. The researchers found the drug had similar effects on fruit flies as it did on people: it helped the distractible flies to pay attention to visual stimuli.

"It suggests there may be similar pathways in the brains of fruit flies and humans, which means we now have a simple reductionist model, with all the genetic tools that go along with it, to try to understand what exactly this drug is doing," according to van Swinderen.

Heisenberg fellow Brembs agrees: "These surprising parallels between insects and humans may point to a general, common functional organization of brains."

The research is reported in the Journal of Neuroscience.

Editor's Note: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by Freie Universitaet Berlin, via AlphaGalileo.

Journal Reference:

Bruno van Swinderen, Bjorn Brembs. Attention-Like Deficit and Hyperactivity in a Drosophila Memory Mutant. Journal of Neuroscience, 2010; 30 (3): 1003 DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4516-09.2010

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