Therapeutic Issues for Autism

March 20, 2019 updated by: Asmaa Salah, Minia University

Therapeutic Issues for Autism Spectrum Disorders: a Clinical Trial

This study aimed to show the effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy and/or Risperidone in improving symptoms of autism

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are clinical disorders with multiple developmental disabilities in skills associated with overall behavior and communication. The term (ASD) includes Autistic Disorder (AD), Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), and Asperger's Disorder .

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a treatment in which patients inside a hyperbaric chamber breathe a concentrated oxygen pressurized more than sea level (1 atmosphere absolute) .

It was obvious that autistic children may have some benefits of HBOT by increasing in cerebral perfusion during treatment. Inhalation of more pressurized oxygen might elevate partial pressure of oxygen in the arterial blood, and increased oxygen that reaches the brain . Another mechanism of action of HBOT that it might have anti-inflammatory properties by reduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines, interleukins 1 and 6, interferon-γ, and tumor necrosis factor-α. Furthermore, HBOT might enhance mitochondrial dysfunction, and upregulate the antioxidant enzymes production.

Risperidone is a second generation antipsychotic, approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of autism-related irritability. Its approved in 2006 only for children not less than 5 years old . This trial aimed to study the effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy and/or Risperidone in management symptoms of autism.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

80

Phase

  • Phase 2

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

3 years to 5 years (Child)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • age of 5-7 years
  • weight of at least 15 kg

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Absence of significant medical problems and any other neuropsychiatric disorder requiring drug therapy (e.g., Bipolar disorder, psychosis).
  • No concomitant treatment with psychotropic medication was allowed during the study.
  • Weight less than 15 kg.
  • Other cardiac, liver, gastrointestinal, renal, endocrine, blood and metabolic diseases

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: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: The Hyperbaric oxygen therapy group
This group consists of twenty autistic children received forty sessions of HBOT, the time of the session is one hour. The sessions were done at pressure 1.5 ATA (atmosphere absolute) and with 100% oxygen concentration, either in multiplace or monoplace chamber. The number of sessions per week allowed is five sessions per week, all participants were required to complete forty sessions within two months. After six months from the last session, another forty sessions would be taken in the same manner
Device: hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Sessions were done at pressure 1.5 ATA (atmosphere absolute) with 100% oxygen concentration, each lasting for one hour either in multiplace chamber or in monoplace chamber.
Active Comparator: The Risperidone group

This group consists of twenty autistic children received Risperidone (dose: 0.25 mg per day in children weighing less than (20 kg); 0.5 mg per day in persons weighing more) for eight months.

The medication schedule in the initial 2 months was based on the child's weight and clinical response. Adjusting the total daily dose according to response and/or adverse effects, at the end of these eight months of treatment we began the discontinuation phase. In this phase, gradual placebo substitution occurs. The discontinuation reduced the maintenance dose by 25% per week. Thus, the dose was 75% of the last week in the eight months for the first week, followed by 50% of the last week for the second week, 25% of the last week for the third week, and placebo only by the fourth week.
Drug: Risperidone
It is antipsychotic drug used by dose: 0.25 mg per day in children weighing less than (20 kg); 0.5 mg per day in persons weighing more for 8 months.
Other Names:
  • Resperidal
Active Comparator: The HBOT and Risperidone group
This group consists of twenty autistic children received HBOT as the HBOT group in addition to Risperidone as the Risperidone group in the same manner and duration
Device: hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Sessions were done at pressure 1.5 ATA (atmosphere absolute) with 100% oxygen concentration, each lasting for one hour either in multiplace chamber or in monoplace chamber.
Drug: Risperidone
It is antipsychotic drug used by dose: 0.25 mg per day in children weighing less than (20 kg); 0.5 mg per day in persons weighing more for 8 months.
Other Names:
  • Resperidal
Placebo Comparator: The Control group
This group consists of twenty autistic children received placebo in the form of multivitamins
Drug: Non specific Multivitamin
control group received non specific multivitamins as placebo for 8 months.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Childhood Autism Rating Scale version 2 (CARS2)measured after one year and after two years to compare the effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy, Risperidone, both of them and the placebo effect
Time Frame: two years
The CARS is a 15 items behavioral rating scale developed to identify autism as well as to quantitatively describe the severity of the disorder. The items are as follows: I. Relating to People; II. Imitation; III. Emotional Response; IV. Body Use; V. Object Use; VI. Adaptation to Change; VII. Visual Response; VIII. Listening Response; IX. Taste; Smell, and Touch Response and Use; X. Fear or Nervousness; XI. Verbal Communication; XII. Nonverbal Communication; XIII. Activity Level; XIV. Level and Consistency of Intellectual Response; and XV. General Impressions. Each item is scored from 1 (no pathology) to 4 (severe pathology) in 0.5 intervals. A total score of 15-29.5 is considered non-autistic to minimal; a score of 30-36.5 is considered mild to moderate autism; a score of 37-60 is considered severe autism (these are based on raw scores)
two years

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Minia University

Investigators

  • Study Chair: Usama Aly, PhD, Minia University
  • Study Director: Khaled Khaled, Prof., Minia University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

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 Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

January 1, 2016

Primary Completion (Actual)

January 1, 2018

Study Completion (Actual)

December 1, 2018

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 19, 2019

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 20, 2019

First Posted (Actual)

March 25, 2019

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

March 25, 2019

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 20, 2019

Last Verified

March 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • autism spectrum disorder

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

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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