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Autism & Drugs

Bottles of Pills: Medication Options for Autistic Patients

As with any illness, disease, or disorder, there are a number of medicine options available to help control these symptoms. It is important to remember that none of these medications will "Cure" autism; they simply help control some of the effects of the disorder. There are advantages and disadvantages to each drug, as they all have side effects as well as benefits. When choosing medicines to effectively treat autism, your doctor can make recommendations, but since autism is a disorder which varies from person to person, you should use drugs very carefully, watching to see how the body reacts to the treatments.

Drugs and Autism

Antipsychotic prescribing trends in youths with autism and intellectual disability

About one in 10 youths treated with an antipsychotic are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder or intellectual disability. Conversely, one in six youths diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder has been prescribed antipsychotics. Furthermore, the results suggest that the proportion of adolescents with autism or intellectual disability has increased among youths treated with antipsychotics and that more youths with autism or intellectual disability have received antipsychotics. Ref. Source 4m.

Autism & Drugs Health & Special Psychology

Drugs that alter inhibitory targets offer therapeutic strategies for Autism, Schizophrenia

Memories are formed at structures in the brain known as dendritic spines, which communicate with other brain cells through 'synapses.' Researchers recently discovered that an inhibitory brain receptor triggers synaptic pruning in adolescence. Now, a new article shows that drugs that selectively target these receptors, when administered during adolescence, can alter synapse number, with possible implications for the treatment of autism and schizophrenia. Ref. Source 5m.