Please select the eligibility criteria that correspond to the clinical trial below.
Title: Trichuris Suis Ova in Autism Spectrum Disorders
Brief Summary: The purpose of this study is to determine whether Trichuris Suis Ova (TSO) is safe and effective in treating adults with autism spectrum disorder


Options:
A: Inclusion Criteria:

Autism/ADHD Group:

* DSM-IV diagnosis of autistic disorder, as per the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS)
* Child manifests current symptoms of ADHD

Autism/non-ADHD Group:

* Meets the diagnostic criteria for autism, as above, but does not meet the diagnostic criteria for ADHD

Exclusion Criteria:

In both groups, exclusion criteria will include:

* Sensory or motor deficits sufficient to interfere with testing (e.g., blindness, severe cerebral palsy)
* Serious neurological disorders (e.g., epilepsy, stroke)
* Down syndrome, fragile X syndrome, Tourette syndrome, or fetal alcohol syndrome
* Bipolar disorder or a family history of bipolar disorder in a first-degree relative
* Other serious psychopathology that resulted in psychiatric hospitalization (e.g., for psychotic episode). The investigators will screen for this using the Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents (DICA)-IV, and getting a complete developmental/medical history
* Serious physical handicaps that would interfere with performance on laboratory tasks
* IQ less than 50 and greater than 130
* Verbal mental age (VMA) less than 36 months (to exclude participants unable to understand simple task instructions)

In the autism/ADHD group, further exclusion criteria apply to the MPH trial:

* History of intolerance to MPH
* Weight less than 20 kg or greater than 59 kg (less than 44 pounds or greater than 130 pounds)
* Concomitant use of dextroamphetamine preparations (Dexedrine, Dextrostat), mixed amphetamine salts (Adderall XR), other MPH preparations (e.g., Concerta, Metadate); venlafaxine, bupropion, atomoxetine, guanfacine, modafinil.
* Concomitant use of any herbal preparations
* Medical condition for which stimulants are contraindicated (e.g., high blood pressure)
* Past treatment failure on a methylphenidate trial
B: Inclusion Criteria:

1. Age 18-35, inclusive, at the time of consent
2. Outpatient
3. Meet criteria for the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder according to the DSM-IV-TR, and supported by the ADOS or ADI-R.
4. Have an IQ of 70 or greater
5. Participants who are taking other medications prior to enrollment must be on a stable dose of concomitant medication, including psychotropic, anticonvulsant, or sleep aid for at least 3 months prior to baseline ratings
6. Be judged reliable for medication compliance and agree to keep appointments for study contacts and tests as outlined in the protocol (both subjects and guardians)
7. Have a personal or family history of allergies.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. History of Bipolar disorder or Psychotic Disorders (e.g. schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorders).
2. Previous diagnosis of Rett's Disorder or Childhood Disintegrative Disorder
3. Uncontrolled seizure disorders (seizures within the past 6 months)
4. Pregnant or breast feeding at screening, or at any time during the study
5. Chronic medical illness that would interfere with or contraindicate participation in the study, or clinically significant abnormalities in baseline laboratory testing or physical exam.
6. Treatment in the last 12 weeks with cyclosporine, methotrexate, infliximab or immunomodulatory agents
7. Treatment in the last 2 weeks with antibiotics, antifungal or antiparasitic medications
8. Presence of any organic or systemic disease or need for a therapeutic intervention, which would confound the interpretation of results.
9. History of previous treatment with Trichuris Suis Ova (TSO).
C: Inclusion Criteria:

* Age 18-40
* Able to attend in person therapy sessions in Boston
* Male
* English-speaking
* Normal or corrected vision
* No history of known genetic disorder, significant motor developmental difficulties, prematurity or brain injury
* IQ \> 90, as determined by the WASI
* Score above the cutoff on the Reciprocal Social Interactions and the Restricted, Repetitive, and Stereotyped Behaviors Domains on the ADI-R, meet criteria for PDD or autism on the ADOS, and/or meet DSM-IV criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder according to clinician interview.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Current use of certain endocrinologically relevant medications
* Current dependence on substances other than tobacco or caffeine
* History of serious medical illness, including neurological, endocrine, cardiac, respiratory, and metabolic diseases that are counter-indications to oxytocin
* Severe, current psychiatric disorder (ie, current mania, severe depression, psychosis, suicidality, severe aggression)
* Long QT, as determined by baseline EKG
* Current participation in other psychotherapy

Additional exclusion criteria for MRI scan only:

Participants who are MRI-ineligible will be enrolled in the clinical trial portion of the study, but will not undergo the MRI scan at MIT. Exclusion criteria for MRI are:

* Presence of metal implants or other metal in the body
* History of claustrophobia or inability to tolerate MRI
D: INCLUSION CRITERIA

All Participants:

1. Male and female participants, ages 8-17 years (inclusive)

   Participants with Autism Spectrum Disorder:
2. Meets Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-5 autism spectrum disorder diagnostic criteria, as established by clinical diagnostic interview
3. At least moderate severity of social impairment, as measured by a total raw score of ≥85 on the parent/guardian-completed Social Responsiveness Scale, Second Edition (SRS-2) and a score of ≥4 on the clinician-administered Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Global Impression-Severity scale (ASD CGI-S)

Healthy Control Participants:

2. Age-, sex-, and IQ-matched with participants with autism spectrum disorder 3. No Axis I diagnoses, as established by the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Epidemiological Version (K-SADS-E) and confirmed by clinical diagnostic interview 4. No significant traits of autism spectrum disorder, as measured by a total raw score of \<60 on the parent/guardian-completed Social Responsiveness Scale, Second Edition

EXCLUSION CRITERIA

All Participants:

1. IQ ≤70 based, on the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence, Second Edition (WASI-II) Vocabulary and Matrix Reasoning subtests
2. Impaired communicative speech
3. Current treatment with the following medications, which are known to impact glutamate levels:

   1. Lamotrigine
   2. Amantadine
   3. N-acetylcysteine
   4. D-cycloserine
4. Current treatment with a psychotropic medication, not listed above, on a dose that has not been stable for at least 4 weeks prior to study baseline
5. Co-administration of drugs that compete with memantine for renal elimination using the same renal cationic system, including hydrochlorothiazide, triamterene, metformin, cimetidine, ranitidine, quinidine, and nicotine
6. Initiation of a new psychosocial intervention within 30 days prior to randomization
7. Participants who are pregnant and/or nursing
8. Participants with a history of non-febrile seizures without a clear and resolved etiology
9. Participants with a history of or a current liver or kidney disease
10. Clinically unstable psychiatric conditions or judged to be at serious suicidal risk
11. Participants who meet for alcohol or drug dependence or abuse on the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Epidemiological Version. If the participant has a recent history of substance abuse, as an added precaution, there will be a 2-week washout period before initiating the trial. There are no known safety issues relating to memantine and recent history of substance abuse.
12. Serious, stable or unstable, systemic illness, including hepatic, renal, gastroenterological, respiratory, cardiovascular (including ischemic heart disease), endocrinologic, neurologic, immunologic, or hematologic disease
13. Participants with severe hepatic impairment (Liver Function Tests \[LFTs\] \>3 times the Upper Limit of Normal \[ULN\])
14. Participants with genitourinary conditions that raise urine Power of Hydrogen (pH) (e.g., renal tubular acidosis, severe infection of the urinary tract)
15. Known hypersensitivity to memantine
16. Severe allergies or multiple adverse drug reactions
17. A non-responder or history of intolerance to memantine after treatment at adequate doses, as determined by the clinician
18. Investigator and his/her immediate family, defined as the Investigator's spouse, parent, child, grandparent, or grandchild.

Answer: B