Please select the eligibility criteria that correspond to the clinical trial below.
Title: A Randomized, Placebo-controlled, Double-masked Clinical Trial of Buspirone in the Treatment of 2- 6 Year Old Children With Autistic Disorder
Brief Summary: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of twice-daily oral buspirone on core features of autism in autistic children aged 2-6 years as measured by the change from baseline in the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) Composite Total scores compared to placebo at 6 months.


Options:
A: Inclusion Criteria:

* Participants: must meet the study definition for diagnosis of autistic disorder as determined by clinical diagnosis based upon DSM-IV criteria, the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) performed at baseline 1. ADI-R will be conducted by trained study staff at Baseline 1 Visit. If the participant has had an ADI-R in the past 12 months, this will be accepted provided the person administering and scoring the test is site personnel validated for the study.
* Age 2 to less than 6 years, male and female.
* Parent/Legal Guardian/Caregiver must be able to understand , read and speak English
* Written Informed Consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Presence or history of neurological disorders, including seizure disorders (abnormal EEG without seizures will not be excluded), PKU, tuberous sclerosis, Rett syndrome, Fragile X syndrome, Down Syndrome and traumatic brain injury.
* Other medical or behavioral problems requiring medications which are centrally active.
* Clinical or laboratory evidence of renal or hepatic disease (SGPT, GGT \> 2 x normal value, and serum creatinine \> 1.5 x normal value).

Treatment with any medication known to alter the activity of the CYP3A4 enzyme including ketoconazole, itraconazole, grapefruit juice, erythromycin, clarithromycin, cimetidine, verapamil, diltiazem, rifampin, phenytoin, phenobarbital, or carbamazepine within the previous 2 months and for the duration of the study is prohibited.

* Use of centrally acting drugs during the 6 weeks prior or during the study. These drugs include but are not limited to neuroleptics, benzodiazepines, anticonvulsants and antidepressants. Shorter times may be considered depending on the half life of the drug.
* Prior treatment for periods longer than two weeks with buspirone or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. This includes herbal substances such as St John's Wort which have similar pharmacological actions.
* Known allergies to study medication.
* Unable to provide the required blood samples.
B: Inclusion criteria:

* A formal diagnosis of Autism or Pervasive Developmental Disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), given by a child neurologist.
* Age: 10-18 years.
* A signed parental consent form.

Exclusion criteria:

* Evidence for one of the following conditions:

  * an underlying infectious disease
  * chromosomal abnormality
  * metabolic disorder
  * specific brain related disorder (such as tuberous sclerosis)
  * history of fetal cytomegalovirus infection
  * birth asphyxia
  * a history of major head injury
  * a chronic use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, (NSAID)
  * known brain damage
* Epilepsy
* Abnormal Electro-cardiogram (ECG)
* Epileptiform EEG
* Use of psychostimulants, anti-depressants, neuroleptics or anti-convulsive agents within the past month.
* Lack of cooperation in the screening phase
C: Inclusion Criteria:

* Male \& female subjects ages 8-18 years (inclusive).
* Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM)-5 Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnostic criteria as established by clinical diagnostic interview
* 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)14 and a score of ≥4 on the clinician-administered Clinical Global Impression-Severity scale (CGI-S)17.

Exclusion Criteria:

* IQ ≤70 based on the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence-II (WASI-II) Vocabulary and Matrix Reasoning subtests
* Impaired communicative speech
* Subjects currently treated with the following medications (known to impact glutamate levels): Lamotrigine, Amantadine, N-acetylcysteine, D-cycloserine
* Subjects treated with a psychotropic medication not listed above on a dose that has not been stable for at least 4 weeks prior to study baseline.
* 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
* Initiation of a new psychosocial intervention within 30 days prior to randomization.
* Subjects who are pregnant and/or nursing.
* Subjects with a history of non-febrile seizures without a clear and resolved etiology.
* Subjects with a history of or a current liver or kidney disease.
* Clinically unstable psychiatric conditions or judged to be at serious suicidal risk.
* Subjects who meet on the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (K-SADS-E) for alcohol or drug dependence or abuse. If the subject has a recent history of substance abuse, there will be a two-week washout period before initiating the trial as an added precaution. There are no known safety issues relating to memantine and recent history of substance abuse.
* Serious, stable or unstable systemic illness including hepatic, renal, gastroenterological, respiratory, cardiovascular (including ischemic heart disease), endocrinologic, neurologic, immunologic, or hematologic disease.
* Subjects with severe hepatic impairment (LFTs \> 3 times ULN).
* Subjects with genitourinary conditions that raise urine pH (e.g., renal tubular acidosis, severe infection of the urinary tract).
* Known hypersensitivity to memantine.
* Severe allergies or multiple adverse drug reactions.
* A history of intolerance or adequate exposure to memantine, as determined by the clinician.
* Investigator and his/her immediate family defined as the investigator's spouse, parent, child, grandparent, or grandchild.
D: Inclusion Criteria:

* Age 4 to 12 years.
* Diagnosis of autistic disorder, Asperger's disorder, or PDD NOS.
* If taking concomitant psychotropic medications, the medication must be at a constant dose for 60 days with no dose changes planned for the duration of the trial.
* Able to swallow capsules.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Presence of any medical condition that significantly increases risk or hampers assessment (e.g., unstable hypertension or cardiac disease, unstable asthma, kidney disease, unstable seizure disorder, pregnancy or any other medical condition as determined by the investigator).
* Weight \< 15 kg.
* Subjects taking concomitant medications or supplements known for their glutamatergic effects (e.g., dextromethorphan, D-cycloserine, amantadine, memantine, lamotrigine, riluzole) or antioxidant properties (high dose vitamin supplements, DMG, TMG, many alternative treatments) within 30 days of the baseline visit with the exception of short term use of dextromethorphan as needed as a cough suppressant. The use of this medicine must be stopped at least 7 days prior to the baseline visit. Regular multivitamins will be allowed.
* Subjects taking daily acetaminophen or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs within 30 days of the baseline visit.
* Profound mental retardation as evidenced by a mental age below 18 months.
* Subjects taking concomitant medications with the potential for pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic drug-drug interactions (e.g., carbamazepine) within 30 days of the baseline visit.
* Subjects who are likely to experience significant changes in their ongoing psychosocial or medical treatments for autism over the course of the trial (e.g., initiation of new behavioral therapy, initiation of new medication or alternative treatment \[e.g., chelation\]). Minor changes in ongoing treatment (e.g., missed therapy sessions due to holiday/vacation; planned break in therapy due to school holidays) will not be considered significant.
* History of prior treatment with NAC.
* Evidence of hypersensitivity/allergy to NAC.
* Presence of certain neurodevelopmental disorders such as Fragile X Syndrome, Tuberous Sclerosis, or other neurological disorders known to be associated with autism or autistic features.
* Diagnosis of Rett's disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, another psychotic disorder, or substance abuse disorder.

Answer: A