Pharmacological treatment of autism

Palermo MT, Curatolo P (2004) Pharmacologic treatment of autism. J Child Neurol 19 155-164... 

Bethea TC, SUdch L (2007) Early pharmacological treatment of autism a rationale for developmental treatment. Biol Psychiatry 61 521-537. 

Combined use of ChEI with neuroleptic and antidepressant medication Although the successes of most pharmacological treatments for autistic adults are limited, combining medications may prove to be more effective. A study by Wang et al., 2007 examined the synergistic effect of risperidone and galantamine on the phencyclidine-induced mouse model of schizophrenia. Similar to autism, schizophrenic patients suffer from cognitive defects and impaired memory function. 

Overall, the status of pharmacotherapy for autism remains disappointing. While a number of agents have been found to be somewhat useful in the treatment of ASD, evidence of efficacy with respect to core symptoms of impaired social interactions and communication is weak. The greatest success has been in treating problems of hyperactivity and irritability. It is notable that with the exception of the stimulants, most of the medications that have been found to be effective are to some extent sedative, raising the question of whether the therapeutic effects that have been observed are in fact specific to autism or simply a consequence of nonspecific sedation. The absence of clear effects on core symptoms means that pharmacology has thus far provided few clues as to the neurochemical basis of ASD. 

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