ADHD Medication May Be Effective in Treatment of Hyperactivity in Autism

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ADHD Medication May Be Effective in Treatment of Hyperactivity in

Autismhttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=33143

Category: Autism News

Article Date: 06 Nov 2005

Children with autism may benefit from a drug commonly prescribed for

attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to research published

in the November issue of the JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION

ARCHIVES OF GENERAL PSYCHIATRY.

In the largest study yet of a stimulant medication for autism, researchers at

five centers associated with the Research Units on Pediatric Psychopharmacology

(RUPP) Autism Network enrolled 72 children in a placebo-controlled study. The

researchers were studying the effect of methylphenidate, better known by the

brand name Ritalin, on hyperactive children with autism and other autism

spectrum disorders associated with impairment of social interaction and

functioning.

“This was an important study because to date there is no FDA-approved medication

for autism spectrum disorders,” said the study's corresponding author J.

Posey, M.D., associate professor of psychiatry and chief of the Christian

Sarkine Autism Treatment Center at the Indiana University School of Medicine.

Researchers were interested in whether methylphenidate would be effective in

reducing hyperactivity and impulsiveness in children with autism spectrum

disorders. Each child participated in a one-week phase to test tolerance of

three different dose levels of the medication.

That portion of the trial was followed by a four-week phase during which

children were given one of the three doses of methylphenidate previously tested

or a placebo. Children who had a positive response were treated for an

additional eight weeks to ensure their response was stable.

There were no serious adverse effects, but 14 children withdrew from the study

due to intolerable side effects. Of the 58 others completing the study, 35

responded well to methylphenidate and experienced a significant reduction in

hyperactivity. However, the reduction in symptoms for the entire group of 58 was

not as great as is typically seen when this medication is used to treat children

with ADHD.

Additional analyses are underway to determine if there are any genetic

predictors of response or tolerability, said Dr. Posey.

“This study shows that methylphenidate is a treatment option for children with

autism spectrum disorder and hyperactivity,” said Dr. Posey. A therapeutic trial

of methylphenidate may be indicated for children with autism and hyperactivity

since some of these children may benefit and any adverse effects would be brief

provided that both parents and practitioners are prepared to suspend treatment

when significant side effects occur, he explained.

The study was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health. Other sites in

the RUPP Autism Network involved in this study are Ohio State University

(principal investigators Aman and L. Eugene Arnold), UCLA (principal

investigator McCracken), Yale University (principal investigator Lawrence

Scahill) and s Hopkins University (principal investigator Elaine Tierney).

McDougle, M.D., professor and chair of the IU Department of

Psychiatry, was the principal investigator for the IU study.

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