Cure Research for Autism

Research list: The list of research areas and treatments under analysis mentioned in various sources for Autism includes:

• Risperidone - antipsychotic medication
• Valproate - mainly for aggressive behavior in adolescents.

Research discussion: The increasing use of psychotropic medications to treat autism and other childhood-onset psychiatric disorders has spotlighted an urgent need for more studies of such drugs in children. To meet this need, NIMH has established, at several research centers, a network of Research Units on Pediatric Psychopharmacology (RUPPs) that combine expertise in psychopharmacology and psychiatry. The RUPPs are intended to become a national resource that will expedite clinical trials in children. They include five groups specifically funded to evaluate treatments for autism. Studies are examining dose range and regimen of medications, and their mechanisms of action, safety, efficacy, and effects on cognition, behavior, and development. The RUPPs recently completed enrollment of the first multi-site controlled trial of the antipsychotic medication risperidone in children with autism, with results scheduled to become available in 2001. The Institute is also supporting a study of valproate* as a treatment for aggressive behavior in adolescents affected by the illness. In 2001, the RUPP network will launch a new protocol to test the efficacy and safety of treatments for inattention and hyperactivity in children with autism. An expansion of the network is planned for FY 2002.¹

A network of five NIMH-supported research centers that combine expertise in psychopharmacology and psychiatry are evaluating the atypical antipsychotic risperidone for reducing aggressive self-injurious behavior in children with autism. Other NIMH research is investigating valproate for diminishing this behavior in adolescents with autism. Studies are examining dose range and regimen of medications, and their mechanisms of action, safety, efficacy, and effects on cognition, behavior, and development. ²

Medical research for Autism: medical news summaries: The following medical news items are relevant to medical research for Autism:

• Autism risk not associated with vaccinations

Medical Tools & Articles:

Next articles:

• Risk Factor Center
• Medical Statistics Center
• Medical Treatment Center
• Prevention Center
• Medical Tests Center

• Disease & Treatments Search
• Online Diagnosis
• Misdiagnosis Center
• Full list of interesting articles