Valproate Response in Aggressive Autistic Adolescents

June 23, 2005 updated by: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
This study will examine the effect of valproate, a medication used to treat seizures and bipolar disorder, on aggressive behavior in children and adolescents with autism.

Study Overview

Status

Unknown

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Autism is a complex biological disorder that generally lasts throughout a person's life. It starts before age three and causes delays or problems with many different ways in which a person develops or grows. Some people with autism become very aggressive and can hurt others or themselves. This study will test the hypothesis that aggressive autistic adolescents will show a significantly greater response to valproate maintained at blood levels of 75-100 mcg/ml than to placebo. The study will also assess the safety of valproate in autistic adolescents. This represents the first double-blind study of valproate in mentally retarded/developmentally delayed populations.

Participants in this study will undergo DSM-IV evaluation, the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised and Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, and baseline blood tests. After baseline screening, all participants will be given a placebo for 1 week. Participants will then be randomized to receive either valproate or placebo for 8 weeks. Dosage adjustment according to blood levels drawn at the end of weeks 2 and 4 will be arranged with parents by a child psychiatrist without breaking the blind. The Aberrant Behavior Check-list-Community (ABC-C) irritability subscale will be the primary measure; the Overt Aggression Scale (OAS), ABC-C hyperactivity subscale, Clinical Global Impressions (CGI) problem severity, Self-Injurious Behavior Questionnaire (SIB-Q), and a valproate side effects checklist will be secondary measures.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment

30

Phase

  • Phase 3

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Kansas
      • Kansas City, Kansas, United States, 66160
        • Recruiting
        • Outpatient MR/Autism Clinic, University of Kansas
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

6 years to 21 years (ADULT, CHILD)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria

  • Autism
  • Lives in the Kansas City area

Exclusion Criteria

  • Psychoactive maintenance medication
  • Degenerative central nervous system disorder
  • Unstable medical illness
  • Seizures in the 6 months prior to study entry
  • History of valproate sensitivity or previous liver disease
  • History of ovarian cysts
  • Low platelet count or raised liver transaminases

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: TREATMENT
  • Allocation: RANDOMIZED
  • Interventional Model: FACTORIAL
  • Masking: DOUBLE

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

Collaborators

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Jessica A. Hellings, M.D., University of Kansas

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

August 1, 2003

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 4, 2003

First Posted (ESTIMATE)

August 5, 2003

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (ESTIMATE)

June 24, 2005

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 23, 2005

Last Verified

June 1, 2003

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • P30HD002528 (NIH)
  • K08MH001516 (NIH)

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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