Research scientists, constantly on the lookout for possible treatments for autism have struck out again with Celexa, an antidepressant that had promise in treating symptoms such as repetitive motions. A recent study proved the drug no more effective than a placebo treatment. With a growing number of children across the U.S. being diagnosed with autism each year, doctors and scientists are on a mission to gain more knowledge about the condition, as well as exploring anything that might resemble a treatment option. In this case, the researchers actually reached a result that wasn’t expected, with the drug not proving to be any more affective than a placebo treatment for the condition. To date, there has only been one medication, risperidone (an antipsychotic drug), approved by the FDA to treat irritability and aggression usually seen in children with autism. With approximately 1.5 million Americans with autism, a disorder which is signaled by problems with communication and social interaction and limited proven drug treatments, many doctors are looking to drugs used to treat other conditions, such as those used to treat obsessive compulsive or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Results from the nationwide trial funded by the National Institutes of Health and published in the June issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, demonstrates a drug once thought to show promise, may not be so effective for the autistic community. The team of researchers led by Bryan H. King, M.D., director of child and adolescent psychiatry at Seattle’s Children’s Hospital and professor and vice-chairman of psychiatry at the University of Washington School of Medicine, evaluated 149 children who were being treated at six academic medical centers across the U.S., ranging in ages from 5 to 17 and were all diagnosed with autism or related disorders from April 2004 to October 2006. The children were divided into two random groups and given either a placebo or a daily dose of Celexa. Dr. King said the researchers had been expecting to prove the value of the drug in treating autism. However, when evaluating the results, the team found that 32.9 percent who took Celexa and 34.2 percent of those who took the placebo actually showed fewer side effects of autism or less severe repetitive symptoms, and those children given the Celexa actually had more side effects from the drug, such as hyperactivity, impulsiveness, decreased concentration, repetitive movements, and sleep problems. It seems children with autism do better during studies because of the attention they receive, which may explain the good results from the placebo treatment. The researchers explained that without the placebo comparison they may have thought the 32.9 percent reduction in symptoms was a pretty good result. According to Dr. King, “We didn’t expect it to work for everyone, but we were hoping that we’d be able to drill down into the population for whom it was very helpful and begin to identify the predictor of what a positive response would be.” The results raise questions as to the effects of similar antidepressants. However, a Baltimore autism specialist said he has treated children with autism from the ages of 3-5 with smaller dosages of Celexa and was successful. According to Dr. Lawrence Scahill, a study author and professor of child psychiatry and nursing at the Child Study Center at Yale University, “Clinicians should be very careful about what they’re targeting if they’re using medications.” He said antidepressants may be useful in treating children with autism for depression or anxiety, as they are in children without autism, but, “if you are targeting for repetitive behaviors, this medication does not appear to be effective.” Source
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