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:

* medically healthy outpatients between 6 and 12 years of age (cut off: 12 years and 11 months)
* Intelligence Quotient (IQ) equal to or greater than 50 (Stanford-Binet)
* Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) Total Score equal to or greater than 70
* ability to complete laboratory and cognitive testing
* diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) based on expert clinical opinion and confirmed on the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R), Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS)
* Clinical Global Impression (CGI) severity rating of 4 or higher
* care provider who can reliably bring participant to clinic visits, provide trustworthy ratings, and interact with the participant on a regular basis
* stable medications for at least 4 weeks
* no planned changes in psychosocial interventions during the trial
* no concurrent participation in any other clinical research trials
* willingness to provide blood samples and electrocardiogram

Exclusion Criteria:

* diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, or psychotic disorder
* regular nasal obstruction or nosebleeds
* active and unstable medical problems (e.g., migraine; asthma; seizure disorder; anaphylaxis; epilepsy; diabetes; serious liver, renal, or cardiac pathology)
* clinically significant abnormal vital signs or ECG reading
* evidence of a genetic mutation know to cause ASD (e.g., Fragile X Syndrome) or metabolic disorder
* significant hearing or vision impairments
* drinks large volumes of water (e.g., habitual or psychogenic polydipsia)
* pregnant or sexually active females not using a reliable method of contraception (urine pregnancy test will be conducted)
* history of hypersensitivity to vasopressin, its analogs (e.g., Desmopressin), or compounding preservatives (e.g., chlorobutanol)
* current use of any medications known to interact with vasopressin including: 1) carbamazepine (i.e., Tegretol); chlorpropamide; clofibrate; urea; fludrocortisone; tricyclic antidepressants (all of which may potentiate the antidiuretic effect of vasopressin when used concurrently); 2) demeclocycline; norepinephrine; lithium; heparin; alcohol (all of which may decrease the antidiuretic effect of vasopressin when used concurrently); 3) ganglionic blocking agents including benzohexonium, chlorisondamine, pentamine (all of which may produce a marked increase in sensitivity to the pressor effects of vasopressin)
* prior or current use of vasopressin
* abnormal chemistry result
B: 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.
C: 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.
D: * Diagnosis of PDD (including Asperger's Disorder and Autistic Disorder)
* Clinically significant symptoms of ADHD
* Mental age of at least 18 months
* Blood pressure within normal ranges for age and gender
* Weight 16 kg or more
* Absence of chronic tic disorder
* Absence of any medical condition that would be incompatible with the study treatments
* Absence of evidence of hypersensitivity to study treatments

Answer: B