For persons with autism, symptoms of repetitive behaviors are common, and frequently form a source of significant interference
in adapting to educational and social settings. These symptoms encompass stereotypic movements, perseverative speech,
to preoccupations and are recognized as a core symptom in many individuals with PDD diagnoses.
These repetitive movements are commonly associated with emotional distress, tension, or dysphoria.
While such behaviors can be responsive to behavioral treatments, they are often difficult to manage by psychosocial efforts alone,
and lead clinicians to attempt trials of treatment with medications. Because of the success of drug treatment for the management
of repetitive behaviors in obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and evidence supporting abnormalities in the serotonin system in autism,
there has been considerable interest in exploring the possible benefits of serotonergic-acting medications for the control
of these repetitive movements associated with autism and other PDDs. The goal of the proposed treatment study is to provide
a rigorous test of the efficacy and safety of an SSRI, citalopram, in the treatment of repetitive behaviors seen in a broad group
of children and adolescents with a PDD diagnosis.
For more information about this research please contact Jennifer Cowen by phone - 310-825-6170 -
or email jcowen@mednet.ucla.edu.
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