title: Preliminary investigation of lithium for mood disorder symptoms in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have higher rates of comorbid psychiatric disorders, including mood disorders, than the general child population. Although children with ASD may experience irritability (aggression, self-injury, and tantrums), a portion also experience symptoms that are typical of a mood disorder, such as euphoria/elevated mood, mania, hypersexuality, paranoia, or decreased need for sleep. Despite lithium's established efficacy in controlling mood disorder symptoms in the neurotypical population, lithium has been rarely studied in children with ASD.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a retrospective chart review of 30 children and adolescents diagnosed with ASD by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed., Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) criteria who were prescribed lithium in order to assess target symptoms, safety, and tolerability. Clinical Global Impressions - Improvement (CGI-I) ratings were performed by two board-certified child psychiatrists with expertise in ASD. CGI-I scores were dichotomized into "improved" (CGI-I score of 1 or 2) or "not improved" (CGI-I score ≥3).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-three percent of patients who received lithium were rated as "improved" on the CGI-I. Seventy-one percent of patients who had two or more pretreatment mood disorder symptoms were rated as "improved." The presence of mania (p=0.033) or euphoria/elevated mood (p=0.041) were the pretreatment symptoms significantly associated with an "improved" rating. The mean lithium blood level was 0.70 mEq/L (SD=0.26), and the average length of lithium treatment was 29.7 days (SD=23.9). Forty-seven percent of patients were reported to have at least one side effect, most commonly vomiting (13%), tremor (10%), fatigue (10%), irritability (7%), and enuresis (7%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This preliminary assessment of lithium in children and adolescents with ASD suggests that lithium may be a medication of interest for those who exhibit two or more mood disorder symptoms, particularly mania or euphoria/elevated mood. A relatively high side effect rate merits caution, and these results are limited by the retrospective, uncontrolled study design. Future study of lithium in a prospective trial with treatment-sensitive outcome measures may be indicated.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Psychiatry, Tufts University School of Medicine , Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Siegel
authors.forename: Carol A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Beresford
authors.forename: Madisun
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bunker
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Verdi
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vishnevetsky
authors.forename: Cassie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Karlsson
authors.forename: Olivia
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Teer
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stedman
authors.forename: Kahsi A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D018692:Antimanic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018020:Lithium Compounds / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D063189:Symptom Assessment; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018692:Antimanic Agents; D018020:Lithium Compounds