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A randomized controlled pilot trial of oral N-acetylcysteine in children with autism.

ABSTRACT: An imbalance in the excitatory/inhibitory systems with abnormalities in the glutamatergic pathways has been implicated in the pathophysiology of autism. Furthermore, chronic redox imbalance was also recently linked to this disorder. The goal of this pilot study was to assess the feasibility of using oral N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a glutamatergic modulator and an antioxidant, in the treatment of behavioral disturbance in children with autism.This was a 12-week, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study of NAC in children with autistic disorder. Subjects randomized to NAC were initiated at 900 mg daily for 4 weeks, then 900 mg twice daily for 4 weeks and 900 mg three times daily for 4 weeks. The primary behavioral measure (Aberrant Behavior Checklist [ABC] irritability subscale) and safety measures were performed at baseline and 4, 8, and 12 weeks. Secondary measures included the ABC stereotypy subscale, Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised, and Social Responsiveness Scale.Thirty-three subjects (31 male subjects, 2 female subjects; aged 3.2-10.7 years) were randomized in the study. Follow-up data was available on 14 subjects in the NAC group and 15 in the placebo group. Oral NAC was well tolerated with limited side effects. Compared with placebo, NAC resulted in significant improvements on ABC irritability subscale (F = 6.80; p < .001; d = .96).Data from this pilot investigation support the potential usefulness of NAC for treating irritability in children with autistic disorder. Large randomized controlled investigations are warranted.

SUBMITTER: Hardan AY

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4914359 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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A randomized controlled pilot trial of oral N-acetylcysteine in children with autism.

Hardan Antonio Y AY Fung Lawrence K LK Libove Robin A RA Obukhanych Tetyana V TV Nair Surekha S Herzenberg Leonore A LA Frazier Thomas W TW Tirouvanziam Rabindra R

Biological psychiatry 20120218 11

<h4>Background</h4>An imbalance in the excitatory/inhibitory systems with abnormalities in the glutamatergic pathways has been implicated in the pathophysiology of autism. Furthermore, chronic redox imbalance was also recently linked to this disorder. The goal of this pilot study was to assess the feasibility of using oral N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a glutamatergic modulator and an antioxidant, in the treatment of behavioral disturbance in children with autism.<h4>Methods</h4>This was a 12-week, do ...[more]

PMID: 22342106

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Project description:Social impairment is a defining feature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with no demonstrated effective pharmacologic treatments. The goal of this study was to evaluate efficacy, safety, and tolerability of oral N-acetylcysteine (NAC), an antioxidant whose function overlaps with proposed mechanisms of ASD pathophysiology, targeting core social impairment in youth with ASD.This study was a 12-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of oral NAC in youth with ASD. Study participants were medically healthy youth age 4 to 12 years with ASD, weighing ?15 kg, and judged to be moderately ill based on the Clinical Global Impressions Severity scale. The participants were randomized via computer to active drug or placebo in a 1:1 ratio, with the target dose of NAC being 60 mg/kg/day in three divided doses. The primary outcome measure of efficacy was the Clinical Global Impressions Improvement (CGI-I) scale anchored to core social impairment. To investigate the impact of NAC on oxidative stress markers in peripheral blood, venous blood samples were collected at screen and week 12.Thirty-one patients were enrolled (NAC = 16, placebo = 15). Three participants were lost to follow-up, and three left the trial due to adverse effects. The average daily dose of NAC at week 12 was 56.2 mg/kg (SD = 9.7) with dose ranging from 33.6 to 64.3 mg/kg. The frequency of adverse events was so low that comparisons between groups could not be conducted. At week 12, there was no statistically significant difference between the NAC and placebo groups on the CGI-I (p > 0.69) but the glutathione (GSH) level in blood was significantly higher in the NAC group (p < 0.05). The oxidative glutathione disulfide (GSSG) level increased in the NAC group, however only at a trend level of significance (p = 0.09). There was no significant difference between the NAC and placebo groups in the GSH/GSSG ratio, DNA strand break and oxidative damage, and blood homocysteine levels at week 12 (ps > 0.16).The results of this trial indicate that NAC treatment was well tolerated, had the expected effect of boosting GSH production, but had no significant impact on social impairment in youth with ASD.Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00453180.

Project description:Few randomized controlled trials (RCTs) report interventions targeting improvement of frailty status as an outcome.This RCT enrolled 117 older adults (65-79?years of age) in Toufen, Taiwan who scored 3-6 on The Chinese Canadian Study of Health and Aging Clinical Frailty Scale Telephone Version and then score ?1 on the Cardiovascular Health Study Phenotypic Classification of Frailty (CHS_PCF). With a two by two factorial design, subjects were randomly assigned to interventions (Exercise and nutrition, EN, n?=?55 or problem solving therapy, PST, n?=?57) or controls (non-EN, n?=?62 or non-PST, n?=?60). Educational booklets were provided to all. EN group subjects received nutrition consultation and a thrice-weekly exercise-training program while PST group subjects received 6 sessions in 3?month. Subjects were followed at 3, 6, and 12?months. Primary outcome was improvement of the CHS_PCF by at least one category (from pre-frail to robust, or from frail to pre-frail or robust) from baseline assessments. One hundred and one completed final assessments. Intention-to-treat analysis with the generalized estimating equation model was applied with adjustment for time and treatment-by-time interactions.Mean age was 71.4?±?3.7?years, with 59% females. Baseline characteristic were generally comparable between groups. EN group subjects had a higher improvement rate on the primary outcome than non-EN group subjects (45% vs 27%, adjusted p?=?0.008) at 3?months, but not 6 or 12?months. They also had more increase of serum 25(OH) vitamin D level (4.9?±?7.7 vs 1.2?±?5.4, p?=?0.006) and lower percentage of osteopenia (74% vs 89% p?=?0.042) at 12?months. PST group subjects had better improvement (2.7?±?6.1 vs 0.2?±?6.7, p?=?0.035, 6-month) and less deterioration (-3.5?±?9.7 vs -7.1?±?8.7, p?=?0.036, 12-month) of dominant leg extension power than non-PST subjects. Some secondary outcomes were also improved in control groups (non-EN or non-PST). No adverse effects were reported.The three-month EN intervention resulted in short-term (3-month) frailty status improvement and long-term effect on bone mineral density and serum vitamin D (12-month) among Taiwanese community-dwelling elders. The effect of PST was less pronounced.ClinicalTrials.gov: EC0970301

Project description:This study was a 10-week double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial of mirtazapine for anxiety in youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Participants were ages 5 to 17 years with ASD and clinically significant anxiety (Pediatric Anxiety Rating Scale [PARS] score ≥10). Thirty participants were randomized to mirtazapine (7.5-45 mg/day) or placebo in a 2:1 ratio. The co-primary outcome measures were the PARS and the Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement subscale (CGI-I). Mirtazapine resulted in a statistically significant within group decrease in anxiety on the PARS (ES 1.76, p < 0.001). The improvement in PARS score for mirtazapine versus placebo was clinically meaningful but not statistically significant (ES = 0.63, p = 0.64). Forty-seven percent of participants assigned to mirtazapine (95% CI 22%: 74%) and 20% assigned to placebo (95% CI 2%: 60%) were rated "much improved" (CGI-I = 2) or "very much improved" (CGI-I = 1) for anxiety, p = 0.46. No statistically significant differences in mean 10-week changes between mirtazapine and placebo occurred on any outcome measure. There were no statistically significant differences in adverse effect frequency between mirtazapine and placebo. The results are consistent with mirtazapine's safety and tolerability and meet three of four pre-specified indicators of efficacy (statistically significant change in total PARS score for mirtazapine, numerically greater reduction in total PARS score for mirtazapine than placebo, numerically higher number of responders to mirtazapine than placebo, but not greater than 50% of participants receiving mirtazapine rated as responders). Implementation of a larger randomized controlled trial of mirtazapine for the treatment of anxiety in this population is supported.Clinical trial registration information: Mirtazapine Treatment of Anxiety in Children and Adolescents with Pervasive Developmental Disorders; https://clinicaltrials.gov ; NCT01302964.

Project description:BackgroundSeveral uncontrolled studies of hyperbaric treatment in children with autism have reported clinical improvements; however, this treatment has not been evaluated to date with a controlled study. We performed a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, controlled trial to assess the efficacy of hyperbaric treatment in children with autism.Methods62 children with autism recruited from 6 centers, ages 2-7 years (mean 4.92 +/- 1.21), were randomly assigned to 40 hourly treatments of either hyperbaric treatment at 1.3 atmosphere (atm) and 24% oxygen ("treatment group", n = 33) or slightly pressurized room air at 1.03 atm and 21% oxygen ("control group", n = 29). Outcome measures included Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scale, Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC), and Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC).ResultsAfter 40 sessions, mean physician CGI scores significantly improved in the treatment group compared to controls in overall functioning (p = 0.0008), receptive language (p < 0.0001), social interaction (p = 0.0473), and eye contact (p = 0.0102); 9/30 children (30%) in the treatment group were rated as "very much improved" or "much improved" compared to 2/26 (8%) of controls (p = 0.0471); 24/30 (80%) in the treatment group improved compared to 10/26 (38%) of controls (p = 0.0024). Mean parental CGI scores significantly improved in the treatment group compared to controls in overall functioning (p = 0.0336), receptive language (p = 0.0168), and eye contact (p = 0.0322). On the ABC, significant improvements were observed in the treatment group in total score, irritability, stereotypy, hyperactivity, and speech (p < 0.03 for each), but not in the control group. In the treatment group compared to the control group, mean changes on the ABC total score and subscales were similar except a greater number of children improved in irritability (p = 0.0311). On the ATEC, sensory/cognitive awareness significantly improved (p = 0.0367) in the treatment group compared to the control group. Post-hoc analysis indicated that children over age 5 and children with lower initial autism severity had the most robust improvements. Hyperbaric treatment was safe and well-tolerated.ConclusionChildren with autism who received hyperbaric treatment at 1.3 atm and 24% oxygen for 40 hourly sessions had significant improvements in overall functioning, receptive language, social interaction, eye contact, and sensory/cognitive awareness compared to children who received slightly pressurized room air.Trial registrationclinicaltrials.gov NCT00335790.

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A randomized controlled pilot trial of oral N-acetylcysteine in children with autism.

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A randomized controlled pilot trial of oral N-acetylcysteine in children with autism.

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