Active clinical trials for "Autistic Disorder"

The goal of this study is to target the neurobiology of restricted and repetitive behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorder using N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a well-tolerated nutritional supplement that has shown promise for reducing symptom severity in recent small-scale trials. The findings from this research will shed light on the mechanisms of action underlying the clinical benefits of NAC and the effects of NAC on altering restricted and repetitive behavior symptom severity in children with autism spectrum disorder.

This project deals with essential challenges in the context of Autism Spectrum Disorder benefiting from a prospective design in childhood, early intervention and a cutting-edge experimental techniques. The present study tests the potential effect of early intervention on neural and behavioral responses in toddlers at elevated likelihood of developing autism (siblings of children with autism) who show clinical autistic signs. Four comparison groups were included in the study: (1) toddlers at elevated likelihood of developing autism with clinical autistic signs who receive early intervention from 18 to 24 months (2) toddlers at elevated likelihood of developing autism with clinical autistic signs who do not receive early intervention (3) toddlers at elevated likelihood of developing autism without clinical autistic signs who only received assessment and monitoring, and (4) typically developing toddlers who only received assessment and monitoring. This study focuses on social and nonsocial sensory integration skills (measured by electroencephalographic and eyetracking recordings) to identify reliable biomarkers for early detection and intervention of autism during a critical period of development. The characterization of biomarkers will guide the detection of the most vulnerable children that will benefit from early intervention, with the long-term aim of reducing the impact of autism on the National Health System.

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn about the effects of an animal-assisted resilience training in children who experienced stressful life events or who have a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. The main question it aims to answer is: • Is an animal-assisted resilience training a feasible approach to increase resilience in children with a history of stressful life events or a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder? Participants will take part in 12 training sessions of a standardized resilience training. The training is group-based, takes place outdoors, and includes interactions with different animals. It focuses on self-esteem, self-perception, dealing with emotions, and social competence.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a group of serious neurodevelopmental disorders. Intestinal microbial disturbance is common in children with ASD, and about 40% of ASD children suffer from gastrointestinal dysfunction. A great deal of evidence shows that intestinal microbes can influence the brain to play its role through "brain-intestinal-microbiota axis". Fecal microbial biota transplantation (FMT) is the most direct way to change the intestinal flora rapidly. We intend to study the difference of intestinal flora structure and metabolism between ASD children and control children at the level of phylum, genus and species; To explore the role of fecal bacteria transplantation in improving core symptoms and gastrointestinal dysfunction of children in autism spectrum disorder; To study the potential etiological mechanism of autism spectrum disorder.

This is a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study of the effects of intranasal oxytocin on bone health in children with autism spectrum disorder, ages 6-18 years old. Subjects will be randomized to receive intranasal oxytocin or placebo (30 IU, 2 times daily) for 12 months in the double-blind phase, followed by a 6-month open label phase during which all study subjects will receive intranasal oxytocin (30 IU, 2 times daily). Study visits include screening to determine eligibility, followed by study visits at baseline, week 2, and months 6, 12, 18 and phone calls every two weeks for the first two months and monthly thereafter for the duration of the study. Study assessments include history and physical examinations, anthropometric measurements, electrocardiogram (EKG), adverse event monitoring, laboratory tests for chemistries, hormones and biomarkers for bone metabolism, questionnaires regarding diet and exercise, and imaging to assess body composition, bone density and structure.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD)are neurodevelopmental disorders that are clinically characterized by a triad of features: impairments in social interaction, impairments in communication, and presence of restrictive repetitive and stereotypical behaviors, interests, or activities (DSM-IV). In addition to these core deficits, ASD is associated with a high prevalence of fine motor difficulties and executive function impairments that contribute to acquisition and performance of skilled motor tasks. It is therefore not surprising that handwriting difficulties are frequently reported in children with ASD.

The purpose of the research is to determine if changes seen during sulforaphane treatment (a compound that comes from eating certain vegetables) can better be understood using digital biomarkers. These digital biomarkers are things like heart rate, muscle movement etc. and are measured using non-invasive devices (like a watch) and are aimed at complementing the traditional clinical scores already in use in current trials (e.g. Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC), Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) and Ohio Autism Clinical Impressions Scale (OACIS)).

The purpose of the study is to evaluate the use of autologous Bone Marrow Derived Stem Cells (BMSC) as a means to improve cognitive impairment as occurs in Alzheimer's Disease and other dementias and to improve behavior and socialization issues which occur in adult Autism Spectrum Disorder. The use of Near Infrared Light, in conjunction with the use of BMSC, will also be assessed.

The objective is to evaluate the efficacy of an online learning module combined with high fidelity simulation-based training in improving medical assistants' and registered nurses' self-confidence and competence scores in taking vital signs in a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder in clinic. The study will explore the efficacy of high-fidelity simulation which has not been studied to date as a training modality for teaching healthcare workers about Autism Spectrum Disorder. The investigators will also evaluate patient encounter data to provide insight into trainees' transformation of knowledge into clinical practice. The hypothesis is that nurses and medical assistants who participate in an online learning module combined with simulation-based training will demonstrate improved self-confidence and competence scores in evaluating children with Autism.

This study investigates the brain response to a single acute dose of a GABAa receptor acting drug (Benzodiazepine or positive allosteric modulator) compared to a single dose of placebo in adults with and without autism spectrum disorder.