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[Autistic disorder: current psychopharmacological treatments and areas of interest for future developments]

Roumen Nikolov1, Jacob Jonker, Lawrence Scahill

  • 1Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.

Revista Brasileira De Psiquiatria (Sao Paulo, Brazil : 1999)
|June 23, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Current autism treatments offer limited benefits for core symptoms and can have significant side effects. This review explores existing and emerging pharmacotherapies to improve treatment options for pervasive developmental disorders.

Area of Science:

  • Neurodevelopmental disorders
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) research
  • Childhood neurodevelopmental conditions

Context:

  • Autism and related pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs) are chronic neurodevelopmental conditions impacting children and families.
  • Current understanding of autism's causes and pathophysiology remains incomplete.
  • Existing pharmacotherapies offer partial relief for maladaptive behaviors but do not address core symptoms and may have significant side effects.

Purpose:

  • To review current pharmacotherapies for autism and related PDDs.
  • To highlight emerging treatments with potential to improve patient outcomes.
  • To address the need for safer and more effective autism medications.

Summary:

  • Pharmacological interventions for autism and PDDs primarily target associated behavioral symptoms.
  • Current medications often present side effects that can outweigh their therapeutic benefits.
  • There is a critical need for novel medications that are both safer and more effective for core autism symptoms.

Impact:

  • Enhancing treatment strategies for individuals with autism and PDDs.
  • Guiding future research and development of novel autism pharmacotherapies.
  • Improving the quality of life for children and families affected by autism spectrum disorder.

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