Conditions: Autism Spectrum Disorder Asperger Syndrome Aspergers Syndrome
Keywords: ASD Autism Autism Spectrum Disorder Asperger Syndrome Asperger PDD PDD-NOS
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 10
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) include Autistic disorder, Asperger's syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). These are developmental disorders beginning prior to three years of age. Recent Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates suggest that ASD affects up to 1 in 100 individuals and up to 1 in 50 boys. There are very substantial costs associated with caring for patients with ASD, and ASD has the highest Caregiver Burden Scores of any condition. There are three core symptom domains of ASD, including social deficits, repetitive behaviors and language deficits. Patients can also have associated symptoms of attentional deficits, disruptive behaviors and intellectual disability. There is currently no Food and Drug administration (FDA) approved treatment for the core symptoms of autism, but risperidone and aripiprazole have FDA approval for disruptive behaviors associated with autism.

This is a 12 week randomized double blind placebo controlled trial of Milnacipran in adults with ASD or Aspergers Syndrome. Milnacipran is said to play a role in the activation and normalization of the locus coeruleus-noradrenergic system, of which is hypothesized to play a role in behavior adaptations and performance.

Detailed description:

Arms:
arm 1: None arm 2: None

Interventions: intervention 1: Milnacipran intervention 2: Placebo
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Patients will receive a titrated dose of milnacipran increasing to a maximum of 100mg a day over the 12 week study period. Dosing will be based on a fixed schedule that will be monitored using a side effect profile. intervention 2: Subjects will be given placebo tablets at dosing corresponding to the fixed schedule between 12.5mg and 100mg.

Protocol document: