Please select the eligibility criteria that correspond to the clinical trial below.
Title: Efficacy of Aripiprazole Versus Placebo in the Reduction of Aggressive and Aberrant Behavior in Autistic Children
Brief Summary: Hypothesis: (1) Aripiprazole treatment will be superior to placebo in reducing aggression and irritability in autistic individuals as shown by reductions in the Aberrant Behavior Checklist-irritability subscale.

(2) Aripiprazole treatment will be superior to placebo in the acute treatment of global autism severity.

The purpose of this study is to examine the possible benefit of the medication Aripiprazole in autistic individuals.


Options:
A: 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.
B: Key Inclusion Criteria:

* Male or female children or adolescents, 6 to 17 years of age, inclusive, at the time of the baseline visit
* Meets current diagnostic criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-of Mental Disorders IV-Text Revised for autistic disorder and displays behaviors such as tantrums, aggression, self-injurious behavior, or a combination of these problems. Diagnosis of autistic disorder will be confirmed by the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised.
* Participant or designated guardian or caregiver is able to comprehend and satisfactorily comply with the protocol requirements, in the opinion of the investigator.
* Demonstrates behaviors such as tantrums, aggression, or self-injury or a combination of these problems
* An Aberrant Behavior Checklist Irritability subscale score ≥18 AND a Clinical Global Impressions Severity score ≥4 at the Screening and Baseline Visits.
* Mental age of at least 24 months

Key Exclusion Criteria:

* Treatment resistant to neuroleptic medication, based on lack of therapeutic response to 2 different neuroleptics after treatment for at least 3 weeks each.
* Previous treatment with aripiprazole for at least 3 weeks duration at an adequate daily dose, without demonstrating a clinically meaningful response.
* Lifetime diagnosis of bipolar disorder, psychosis, or schizophrenia, or a current diagnosis of major depressive disorder
* Diagnosis of Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified, Asperger's Syndrome, Rett's Syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, or Fragile X Syndrome
* History of neuroleptic malignant syndrome
* At significant risk for suicide based on history or routine psychiatric status examination
* A seizure within the past year
* History of severe head trauma or stroke
* History or current evidence of any unstable medical conditions that would expose the patient to undue risk of a significant adverse event or interfere with assessments of safety or efficacy during the course of the trial
* Weight lower than 15 kg
* Known allergy or hypersensitivity to aripiprazole or other dihidrocarbostyrils
* History of a clinically significant low white blood cell count or a drug-induced leukopenia/neutropenia
* Any other medically significant abnormal laboratory test or vital sign result or electrocardiogram finding
C: Inclusion Criteria:

* DSM-IV diagnosis of Autistic Disorder (299.00)
* ABC-I Subscale score of greater than or equal to 18
* CGI-S of greater than or equal to 4
* mental age \>18 months, body weight of at least 20 kg, seizure-free for at least 6 consecutive months and if on anticonvulsants must be on a dosage that has been stable for at least 4 weeks
* Medication free for 1 week before the start of the study for all psychotropic drugs, except 4 weeks for fluoxetine and at least 8 weeks for injectable medications
* Female patients must be premenarchal or sexually abstinent or, if heterosexually active, must practice an effective method of birth control.

Exclusion Criteria:

* History of prior or current DSM-IV psychotic disorder (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, other psychosis), Pervasive Developmental Disorder not otherwise specified (PDD NOS), Asperger's, or Rett's
* Any history of hypersensitivity to risperidone, or its excipients in formulation, or other known drug allergy
* Patients who received risperidone within 3 months before screening (except p.r.n. use)
* Patients who did not demonstrate sufficient clinical response to an adequate trial of risperidone treatment in the past (an adequate trial is defined as a period of at least 4 weeks at an adequate dose)
* Neurologic disorder (e.g., Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome, seizure disorders that are unstable, seizure activity within the past 6 months)
* History of alcohol or substance dependence within 3 months of screening
* Female subject who is pregnant (positive beta-HCG) or breast feeding
* Patients with existing moderate or severe EPS or history of tardive dyskinesia
* Patients who have received an experimental drug or used an experimental medical device within 3 months before the planned start of treatment.
D: Inclusion Criteria:

* Meets DSM-IV, ADI-R criteria for autistic disorder.
* Age 5-17 years.
* Outpatients
* Parent or legal guardian willing to sign informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Subject has been diagnosed with a psychotic disorder (such as schizophrenia) or a mood disorder, including depression or bipolar disorder (manic depression).
* Subject has caused visible harm to him/herself.
* Subject has an active seizure disorder or epilepsy (seizures within the past year).
* Subject has an unstable medical illness, including heart disease.
* Subject has experienced brain injury.
* Subject has a history of diabetes.
* Subject reports significant improvement of autism symptoms and behaviors to current medication or other therapies.
* Subject has a history of prior treatment with Aripiprazole of 5 mg/day or higher for 6 weeks.
* Subject lives in a far away area and/or does not have regular access to transportation to the clinical facility.
* Subject is a pregnant female or unwilling to use acceptable contraception if sexually active.

Answer: D