title: Divalproex sodium vs. placebo in the treatment of repetitive behaviours in autism spectrum disorder.
abstract: Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairment in three core symptom domains: socialization, communication, and repetitive/stereotyped behaviours. Other associated symptom domains are also affected including impulsivity/aggression, self-injury, anxiety, and mood lability. Divalproex has been shown to have efficacy in treating epilepsy, bipolar disorder, mood lability, and impulsive aggression. The present study evaluated the use of divalproex in the treatment of repetitive, compulsive-like symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Thirteen individuals with ASD participated in an 8-wk, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of divalproex sodium vs. placebo. There was a significant group difference on improvement in repetitive behaviours as measured by the Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (C-YBOCS) (p=0.037) and a large effect size (d=1.616). This study provides preliminary support for the use of divalproex in treating repetitive behaviours in ASD. Further research is needed to evaluate the specificity and mechanism of action of these findings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029, USA. eric.hollander@mssm.edu
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hollander
authors.forename: Latha
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Soorya
authors.forename: Stacey
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wasserman
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Esposito
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chaplin
authors.forename: Evdokia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Anagnostou
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010555:Personality Inventory; D010919:Placebos; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D013239:Stereotyped Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014635:Valproic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D010919:Placebos; D014635:Valproic Acid