Newswise — COLUMBUS, Ohio – Researchers at The Ohio State University are conducting a study to determine which is more effective for helping children on the autism spectrum: training parents or taking medication.
Researchers at Ohio State’s Nisonger Center are studying whether a particular non-stimulant typically used to treat children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder can help children with autism. At the same time, researchers are also analyzing the benefits of a training intervention for parents of children with autism to help curb attention problems, hyperactivity and noncompliance.
During the study, some patients will receive a drug known as atomoxetine, while others will receive a placebo. And some parents will be taught intervention techniques by a professional to better control their children’s symptoms of autism, while others will not receive the additional parent training, said principal investigator Michael Aman, director of research at the Nisonger Center at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
As for the role of the parent, Aman says therapists will teach parents behavior techniques to help them better manage behavioral issues in children. There are subtle clues that parents can be taught to recognize and help prevent problems before they start, according to Aman. In addition, certain reward techniques have proven effective in clinical settings.
“We’re trying to have the greatest possible impact on children with autism,” says Aman, a professor of psychology and psychiatry who focuses on pharmacological and behavioral studies for children. “Obviously it gives us an opportunity to look at each technique in isolation, but more importantly, it enables us to look at the combination of the two treatments to see if there is a bonus.”
Atomoxetine is already approved for use in children with ADHD, but this marks the first large-scale study using this drug in children on the autism spectrum, Aman said.
“We think there is a better chance that this drug will work for children when stimulants have failed, because it actually works on a different neuro-chemical,” Aman says. “So, the chance of seeing a breakthrough on a child who has yet to respond to the stimulants is much greater.”
“By combining the pill and the parental involvement, we’re hoping that we’ll see an effect which is greater than with the use of either treatment alone,” Aman says. The study is open to boys and girls ages 5 to 14 who are in good health and have been diagnosed with autistic disorder, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), or Asperger’s disorder.
After the first 10 weeks, study participants may continue in the treatment program based on how they responded during the first phase of the study. This includes the opportunity to receive the real medicine if they received the placebo earlier.
The study, supported by funding from the Ohio State University Center for Clinical and Translational Science (OSU-CCTS) is currently taking place at the Nisonger Center at Ohio State, in conjunction with the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Rochester in New York. For more information about the study, go to http://nisonger.osu.edu/study_participation and click on “CHARTS Website” or call 614-688-8214.
Additionally, for people interested in participating in autism research, ResearchMatch.org, an NIH-sponsored volunteer registry, is developing new features specifically designed to strengthen the connections between the families of the national autism community and the researchers who are working to provide them answers. To join ResearchMatch and help autism research, visit https://www.researchmatch.org/?rm=autism.# # # The Nisonger Center, a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, is part of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and was founded in 1966 to provide assistance to people with disabilities, families, service providers and organizations by promoting inclusion of people with disabilities in education, health, employment and community setting.
About The Ohio State University Center for Clinical and Translational ScienceDedicated to turning the scientific discoveries of today into the life-changing health innovations of tomorrow, The Ohio State University Center for Clinical and Translational Science (OSU CCTS) is a collaboration of experts including scientists and clinicians from seven OSU Health Science Colleges, Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center and Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Funded by a multi-year Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) from the National Center for Translational Sciences (NCATS) at the National Institutes of Health, OSU CCTS provides financial, organizational and educational support to biomedical researchers as well as opportunities for community members to participate in credible and valuable research. The CCTS is led by Rebecca Jackson, M.D., Director of the CCTS and associate dean of research at Ohio State. For more information, visit http://ccts.osu.edu.
About the Clinical and Translational Science AwardsLaunched in 2006 by the NIH, and currently residing in the newly created National Center for the Advancement of Translational Sciences (NCATS), the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) program created academic homes for clinical and translational science at research institutions across the country. The CTSA’s primary goals are to speed the time it takes for basic science to turn into useable therapeutics that directly improve human health, and to train the next generation of clinicians and translational researchers.
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