Secretin treatment for autistic disorder: a critical analysis.
We assessed evidence of the effects of secretin on behavior in individuals with autistic disorder. Articles were obtained through a MEDLINE search of the English-language literature from January 1966-November 2001; all investigations and case reports on the topic were included. Press releases obtained from the World Wide Web also were included. Secretin, a gastrointestinal hormone, is suggested to improve autistic symptoms, particularly social function and communication. Two formulations, porcine and synthetic human secretin, were evaluated in humans. A small body of literature and popular belief in autistic disorder communities supported the agent's efficacy. A number of controlled clinical trials did not show improvement in autistic symptoms with secretin compared with placebo, possibly indicating no role for the drug in autistic disorder.
College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin State Hospital, Texas Department of Mental Health and Retardation, 78712, USA.
Nick C
NC
Patel
Jun Y
JY
Yeh
Marvin D
MD
Shepherd
M Lynn
ML
Crismon
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012633:Secretin / Q000502:physiology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D012633:Secretin