Trends in ASD Pharmacological Research: An Analysis of ClinicalTrials.gov

• Published in: Review journal of autism and developmental disorders Vol. 10; no. 2; pp. 367 - 382
• Main Authors: Cervantes, Paige E., Conlon, Greta R., Shalev, Rebecca A., Castellanos, F. Xavier
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.06.2023; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Autism; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Child & adolescent psychiatry; Child and School Psychology; Clinical trials; Developmental Psychology; Neurosciences; Psychiatry; Psychology; Rehabilitation; Review Paper; Social Work; Trends; ASD outcome measurement; ClinicalTrials.gov; Autism spectrum disorder; ASD pharmacological research
• ISSN: 2195-7177; 2195-7185
• DOI: 10.1007/s40489-021-00297-0

Despite decades of research, both understanding and availability of pharmacological interventions for autistic people are limited. We examined characteristics of pharmacological trials on ClinicalTrials.gov ( N  = 235) to elucidate trends, identify gaps, and suggest future research directions. We observed that trials predominantly sampled school-aged children and adolescents and focused largely on core autism symptoms, neglecting younger children and adults as well as associated symptom domains often identified by stakeholders as treatment priorities. A variety of intervention agents were trialed, with nearly 60% appearing in just one study. Notably, in line with previous research, there was little consistency in outcome measures used, with the majority (58.9%) used in only one trial. Innovation in research strategies is urgently needed; potential directions for such changes are discussed.