Healing Thresholds Autism Therapy Topic Feed

Aggression and Tantrums in Children with Autism: A Review of Behavioral Treatments and Maintaining Variables

scottie — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 19:43:36 +0000

Title	Aggression and Tantrums in Children with Autism: A Review of Behavioral Treatments and Maintaining Variables
Publication Type	Journal Article
Authors	Matson J
Journal Title	Journal of Mental Health Research
Year of Publication	2009
Volume	2
Pages	169-187
URL for Abstract	http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~db=all~content=a912752214
Teaser	A problem-solving approach that is combined with applied behavior analysis (ABA) may be helpful for children with autism who have tantrums and aggression.
Full Text	A problem-solving approach that is combined with applied behavior analysis (ABA) may be helpful for children with autism who have tantrums and aggression. This article reviews research-based treatments for tantrums, and describes the strengths and problems of each intervention approach. The most common treatment approach for problem behavior is ABA therapy that is skill building in nature. It appears that the use of functional assessment makes it more likely that the ABA therapy will work. Many of the treatment studies also taught the child how to communicate. The author notes that brain (antipsychotic) drugs are being used more and more often for younger and younger children.

National Patterns in the Outpatient Pharmacological Management of Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder

scottie — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Title	National Patterns in the Outpatient Pharmacological Management of Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Publication Type	Journal Article
Authors	Gerhard T, Chavez B, Olfson M, Crystal S
Journal Title	Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology
Year of Publication	2009
Volume	29
Issue	3
Pages	307-309
URL for Abstract	http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19440093
Teaser	Many drugs are prescribed to help manage the symptoms of autism and yet very few studies have been done to demonstrate that these medications are helpful.
Full Text	Many drugs are prescribed to help manage the symptoms of autism and yet very few studies have been done to demonstrate that these medications are helpful. This article describes the use of drug therapy in the U.S. for youth with autism. Recently, there has been a large increase in the use of brain drugs (psychotropic medications) to treat young people with autism. This may be due to the fact that more people know about autism. It may also be due to the presence of new drugs such as atypical antipsychotics and newer stimulants. There are no guidelines to help doctors know how to prescribe brain drugs to help children with autism.

May the Best Friend be an Enemy if not Recognized Early: Possible Role of Omega-3 Against Cardiovascular Abnormalities Due to Antipsychotics in the Treatment of Autism

scottie — Tue, 18 May 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Title	May the Best Friend be an Enemy if not Recognized Early: Possible Role of Omega-3 Against Cardiovascular Abnormalities Due to Antipsychotics in the Treatment of Autism
Publication Type	Journal Article
Authors	Cysneiros RM, Terra VC, Machado HR, Arida RM, Schwartman JS, Cavalheiro EA, Scorza FA
Journal Title	Arq Neuropsiquiatr
Year of Publication	2009
Volume	67
Issue	3B
Pages	922-926
URL for Abstract	http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19838534
Teaser	Omega-3 fatty acid supplements may reduce the incidence of sudden cardiac death in patients with autism who are prescribed atypical antipsychotics.
Full Text	Omega-3 fatty acid supplements may reduce the incidence of sudden cardiac death in patients with autism who are prescribed atypical antipsychotics. This paper describes the logic behind using omega-3 fatty acids to protect the hearts of children given brain drugs (atypical antipsychotics). Atypical antipsychotics may cause sudden death by causing the heart to stop beating. Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to protect people from heart disease. The authors note that, in many cases, children with autism have only low levels of omega-3 fatty acids in their blood. They believe that omega-3 fatty acid supplements may help children with autism in many ways and may help to protect the heart of children giving atypical antipsychotics.

A Placebo-Controlled, Fixed-Dose Study of Aripiprazole in Children and Adolescents with Irritability Associated with Autistic Disorder

scottie — Thu, 13 May 2010 15:12:01 +0000

Title	A Placebo-Controlled, Fixed-Dose Study of Aripiprazole in Children and Adolescents with Irritability Associated with Autistic Disorder
Publication Type	Journal Article
Authors	Marcus RN, Owen R, Kamen L, Manos G, McQuade RD, Carson WH, Aman MG
Journal Title	J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry
Year of Publication	2009
Volume	48
Issue	11
Pages	1110-1119
URL for Abstract	http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19797985
Teaser	Aripiprazole may help to treat irritability in children with autism.
Full Text	Aripiprazole may help to treat irritability in children with autism. This double-blind, placebo-controlled study compared the atypical antipsychotic aripiprazole with placebo in terms of being able to reduce irritability in children (aged 6 to 17 years) with autism. This eight week study found that aripiprazole was able to reduce irritability in children with autism. Children who received aripiprazole also had decreased hyperactivity. There was a high placebo response rate of 35% on this study. The authors also note that this was a fixed-dose study and therefore doctors were not able to change the dose of the drug based upon the patient’s response to the drug.

A Longitudinal Investigation of Psychotropic and Non-Psychotropic Medication Use Among Adolescents and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders

scottie — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Title	A Longitudinal Investigation of Psychotropic and Non-Psychotropic Medication Use Among Adolescents and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Publication Type	Journal Article
Authors	Esbensen AJ, Greenberg JS, Seltzer MM, Aman MG
Journal Title	Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
Year of Publication	2009
Volume	39
Issue	9
Pages	1339-1349
URL for Abstract	http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19434487
Teaser	Many (70 to 80%) of adolescents and adults with autism take medications.
Full Text	Many (70 to 80%) of adolescents and adults with autism take medications. This study followed a group of 286 teenagers and adults (10 to 48 years old) with autism for 41/2 years. The authors asked which, if any, medications the people in the study were taking. At the start of the study, 70% were taking some medication (57% of patients were taking brain-related medication; 37% of patients were taking other medication). The more common brain-related medications were antipsychotics and antidepressants. After 41/2 years, 81% of the adolescents and adults were taking medication (64% of patients were taking brain-related; 50% of patients were taking other medication). The authors were surprised by the high level of medication use and wondered if the result was due to the fact that the study included adolescents and adults (as opposed to just children).

Prescription Medicine Primer: Pharmacology of Autism Spectrum Disorders

scottie — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:21:02 +0000

Title	Prescription Medicine Primer: Pharmacology of Autism Spectrum Disorders
Publication Type	Journal Article
Authors	Bhagar HA, Schmetzer AD
Journal Title	Annals of the American Psychotherapy Association
Year of Publication	2008
Issue	September
URL for Abstract	http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-187049619/prescription-medicine-primer-pharmacology.html
Teaser	Children with autism may benefit from behavioral therapies and medications.
Full Text	Children with autism may benefit from behavioral therapies and medications. The common approach to therapy for children with autism is a combination of behavioral therapy and medication (drug therapy). One study reported that 70% of children with autism 8 years old and older receive some form of medication. Common types of medication include antidepressants, stimulants, and antipsychotics.

The Role of Antipsychotics in the Management of Behavioral Symptoms in Children and Adolescents with Autism

scottie — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 21:53:00 +0000

Title	The Role of Antipsychotics in the Management of Behavioral Symptoms in Children and Adolescents with Autism
Publication Type	Journal Article
Authors	Malone RP, Waheed A
Journal Title	Drugs
Year of Publication	2009
Volume	69
Issue	5
Pages	535-548
URL for Abstract	http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19368416?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
Full Text	Antipsychotic drugs may help to reduce problem behaviors and improve function in patients with autism. Treatment of autism requires many approaches: educational, behavioral, and psychosocial. The purpose of this review article is to describe the use of antipsychotic drugs to treat symptoms of autism. The antipsychotics drugs include: haloperidol, risperidone, olanzapine, ziprasidone, aripiprazole, clozapine, and quetiapine. Haloperidol has been around for a long time and there are many studies that show haloperidol to be safe and effective. Risperidone is the antipsychotic drug that has been best studied in autism.

Comorbidity of Asperger’s Syndrome and Bipolar Disorder

scottie — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:44:26 +0000

Title	Comorbidity of Asperger’s Syndrome and Bipolar Disorder
Publication Type	Journal Article
Authors	Raja M, Azzoni A
Journal Title	Clinical Practice and Epidemiology of Mental Health
Year of Publication	2008
Volume	4
Pages	26-32
URL for Abstract	http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19014623?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
Full Text	Mood stabilizers and second generation antipsychotics may be helpful for people who have Asperger syndrome and bipolar syndrome. Some patients who are being treated for mental health issues also have autism. A diagnosis of autism in these people may be very helpful when it comes to treatment. This paper describes three patients with Asperger syndrome and bipolar spectrum disorders. These three patients had been prescribed many types of drug therapy over the years. When a patient has bipolar syndrome and Asperger syndrome it may be very tricky to treat obsessive-compulsive symptoms.

Developing Drugs for Core Social and Communication Impairment in Autism

scottie — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 16:08:41 +0000

Title	Developing Drugs for Core Social and Communication Impairment in Autism
Publication Type	Journal Article
Authors	Posey DJ, Erickson CA, McDougle CJ
Journal Title	Child Adolesc Psychiatric Clin N Am
Year of Publication	2008
Volume	17
Issue	4
Pages	787-801
URL for Abstract	http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18775370?ordinalpos=2&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
Full Text	There are several drugs that are being studied to see if they may be able to treat the core social symptoms of autism. Right now there are no drugs that are proven to treat the core social problems of autism. Risperidone is prescribed to treat autism, but it has only been shown to help behavior problems that may be symptoms of autism. Drugs that are being studied as possible treatments for social symptoms of autism include: selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) and atypical antipsychotics such as risperidone. This review article describes the problems that have slowed down the discovery of a drug to treat the social symptoms of autism. One of the big problems in drug discovery is that scientists still do not know the brain biology that causes autism. This problem may stem from the fact that autism is a spectrum disorder and thus the brains of people with autism may vary a great deal.

Treatment of Inattention, Overactivity, and Impulsiveness in Autism Spectrum Disorders

scottie — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 16:11:16 +0000

Title	Treatment of Inattention, Overactivity, and Impulsiveness in Autism Spectrum Disorders
Publication Type	Journal Article
Authors	Aman MG, Farmer CA, Hollway J, Arnold LE
Journal Title	Child Adolesc Psychiatric Clin N Am
Year of Publication	2008
Volume	17
Issue	4
Pages	713-738
URL for Abstract	http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18775366?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
Full Text	Methylphenidate, atomoxetine, certain atypical antipsychotics, and alpha-2 adrenergic antagonists appear to be the best drug therapy for children with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This review paper describes key research on children who have symptoms of both autism and ADHD. Drug therapy (most often drugs known as psychostimulants) tends to be the most common treatment for children with autism and ADHD. Studies suggest that psychostimulants such as methylphenidate and atomoxetine do not help preschool-aged children with autism and ADHD. Older children seem to respond better to psychostimulants whether or not they have autism. The authors note that most of the current published studies on drugs to treat symptoms of ADHD in children with autism are case studies and small open-label trials.