title: An open-label naturalistic pilot study of acamprosate in youth with autistic disorder.
abstract: To date, placebo-controlled drug trials targeting the core social impairment of autistic disorder (autism) have had uniformly negative results. Given this, the search for new potentially novel agents targeting the core social impairment of autism continues. Acamprosate is U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved drug to treat alcohol dependence. The drug likely impacts both gamma-aminobutyric acid and glutamate neurotransmission. This study describes our initial open-label experience with acamprosate targeting social impairment in youth with autism. In this naturalistic report, five of six youth (mean age, 9.5 years) were judged treatment responders to acamprosate (mean dose 1,110 mg/day) over 10 to 30 weeks (mean duration, 20 weeks) of treatment. Acamprosate was well tolerated with only mild gastrointestinal adverse effects noted in three (50%) subjects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Christian Sarkine Autism Treatment Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, USA. crericks@iupui.edu
authors.forename: Craig A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Erickson
authors.forename: Maureen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Early
authors.forename: Kimberly A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Stigler
authors.forename: Logan K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Wink
authors.forename: Jennifer E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Mullett
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: McDougle
mesh_terms: D000077443:Acamprosate; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002648:Child; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018756:GABA Antagonists / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012920:Social Behavior Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013654:Taurine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D018756:GABA Antagonists; D013654:Taurine; D000077443:Acamprosate