Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and the Western Psychiatric
Institute and Clinic of UPMC have received $3 million from the National
Institute of Mental Health to conduct a national study of the treatment
of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children with
autism spectrum disorders.
"ADHD symptoms are common in children with autism, but children with
autism often do not respond well to stimulant medications, the
conventional treatment for ADHD," said Benjamin Handen, Ph.D., principal
investigator of the study and associate professor of psychiatry and
pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
In this 10-week clinical trial, which will start enrolling patients in
September, Pitt researchers and colleagues from the University of
Rochester and Ohio State University will recruit 144 children ranging in
ages from 5 to13 who have autism with ADHD symptoms. The researchers
will assess the safety and effectiveness of two treatments: atomoxetine
(also know as Strattera), a nonstimulant medication for treating ADHD,
and parent management training in which parents learn how to use
behavioral interventions as another form of conventional ADHD treatment.
At the close of the trial, the researchers will continue to follow for
six months all participants who respond favorably to treatment to
examine the safety, effectiveness and tolerability of long-term
treatment.
"Existing research on medication and behavioral treatments for children
with autism is sparse," noted Dr. Handen. "The findings from this study
will provide guidance for doctors and parents on the best treatment
options for many children with autism who also have symptoms of ADHD."
The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine is one of the nation's
leading medical schools, renowned for its curriculum that emphasizes
both the science and humanity of medicine and its remarkable growth in
National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant support, which has more than
doubled since 1998. For fiscal year 2006, the University ranked sixth
out of more than 3,000 entities receiving NIH support with respect to
the research grants awarded to its faculty. The majority of these grants
were awarded to the faculty of the medical school. As one of the
university's six Schools of the Health Sciences, the School of Medicine
is the academic partner to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Their combined mission is to train tomorrow's health care specialists
and biomedical scientists, engage in groundbreaking research that will
advance understanding of the causes and treatments of disease and
participate in the delivery of outstanding patient care.
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
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