Please select the eligibility criteria that correspond to the clinical trial below.
Title: Memantine for the Treatment of Social Deficits in Youth with Disorders of Impaired Social Interactions: a Randomized-controlled Trial
Brief Summary: This study is a 12-week randomized-controlled trial of memantine hydrochloride (Namenda) for the treatment of social impairment in youth with Non-Verbal Learning Disorder, High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder, and related conditions. Eligible participants will be males and females ages 8-18.

This study consists of up to 6 visits to Massachusetts General Hospital.


Options:
A: Inclusion Criteria:

* DSM-IV-TR diagnosis of autism, Asperger's disorder, or PDD not otherwise specified (NOS) base on a semi-structured review of DSM-IV-R criteria and mental status examination as wll as a complete parental history obtained from the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) and a complete systematic patient interview utilizing the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS).
* Males and females ages 5-11 years.
* Significant social impairment as evidenced by a parent-rated Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) T-score of 60 or greater.
* TSSA score of 70% or less on both parent questionnaire and child assessment. Children not showing significant impairment in the four specific social skill areas (greetings/goodbyes, conversations, game play, and understanding emotions) targeted by the SST are less likely to benefit from treatment.
* Communication Standard Score of 70 or greater on the Vineland-II.
* Full Scale IQ greater than 70.
* Subjects must not be taking any psychotropic drugs affecting glutamate neurotransmission (riluzole, memantine, acamprosate, topiramate, amantadine, among others). Subjects may not be taking more than two psychotropic drugs. Dosing of all concomitant psychotropic drugs targeting core social and/or communication impairment must be stable for eight weeks prior to randomization. Dosing of all concomitant psychotropic drugs treating other features associated with pervasive developmental disorders (insomnia, inattention, hyperactivity, anxiety, irritability among others0 must be stable for two weeks (with the exception of four weeks for fluoxetine) prior to randomization.
* Able to participate in group SST based on semi-structured parent and child interview.
* Legal guardian has provided written informed consent and the subject has provided written informed assent. Expectation that a majority of subjects will be able to assent but the potential for the younger children and/or those that are cognitively impaired will not be able to assent.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Subjects with diagnoses of Rett's disorder or childhood integrative disorder will not be enrolled since these disorders have a different etiology, course, and treatment response. Furthermore, children with these disorders may not function at a high enough level in terms of cognition or language in order to benefit from the SST.
* Initiation of a new psychosocial intervention within 90 days prior to randomization. Participants who have recently had a significant change in their psychosocial interventions will not be eligible until this intervention has been stable for 90 days in order to avoid confounding results of the study. Stable interventions (e.g., speech and occupational therapy), with the exception of concurrent social skills training, will be allowed to continue during the course of the study. Minor changes in ongoing treatment (e.g., missed therapy sessions due to holiday/vacation; planned break in therapy due to school holidays) are not considered significant.
* Subjects exhibiting significant disruptive, aggressive, self-injurious, or sexually inappropriate behavior will not be eligible for enrollment.
* Presence of current DSM-IV-TR psychiatric disorders that require alternative pharmacotherapy or different treatment including psychotic disorders, or major affective disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, or substance related disorders.
* Presence of any medical condition that would make treatment with DCS less safe. Subjects with significant cardiac, hepatic, or renal disease will be excluded due to concerns about pharmacokinetic alterations or adverse effects. Subjects with a history of a seizure disorder are permitted if the subject has been seizure free for 6 months and is currently treated with an anticonvulsant that has been stable for 4 weeks. D-Cycloserine is an U.S. FDA Pregnancy Category C drug. Because of the unknown effects of DCS on the developing human fetus, females of childbearing potential will be given a urine pregnancy test and required to use a suitable form of birth control during the study. A positive pregnancy test result excludes the subject.
* Presence of any other condition that would make the participants unable to comply with the requirements of the study for any reason.
B: Inclusion Criteria:

* Males or females ages 6 to 12 years
* Diagnosis of autistic disorder, according to DSM-IV-TR using Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised and Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (modules 2 \& 3).
* A knowledgeable caregiver capable of providing reliable information about the patient's condition, able to attend all clinic visits with the patient
* Patients over age 12, only if they completed Study MEM-PK-21

Exclusion Criteria:

* Medical history of active epilepsy/seizure disorder except simple febrile seizures
* Participation in any other clinical investigation using an experimental drug within 30 days of the start of this study
C: 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.
D: 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.

Answer: D