Salam Salloum-Asfar, Nasser Zawia, Sara A. Abdulla
{"title":"Retracing our steps: A review on autism research in children, its limitation and impending pharmacological interventions","authors":"Salam Salloum-Asfar, Nasser Zawia, Sara A. Abdulla","doi":"10.1016/j.pharmthera.2023.108564","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by three core impairments: impaired communication, impaired reciprocal social interaction, and restricted, repetitive, and stereotypical behavior patterns. Spectrum refers to the heterogeneity of presentation, severity of symptoms, and medical comorbidities associated with ASD. Among the most common underlying medical conditions are attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, depression, epilepsy, digestive disorders, metabolic disorders, and immune disorders. At present, in the absence of an objective and accurate diagnosis of ASD, such as a blood test, pharmacological management remains a challenge. There are no approved medications to treat the core symptoms of the disorder and behavioral interventions are typically used as first line treatment. Additionally, psychotropic drugs with different mechanisms of action have been approved to reduce associated symptoms and comorbidities, including aripiprazole, risperidone, and haloperidol for irritability and aggression, methylphenidate, atomoxetine, clonidine, and guanfacine for ADHD, and melatonin for sleep disturbances. The purpose of this review is to emphasize that it is imperative to develop objective, personalized diagnostic kits in order to tailor and individualize treatment strategies, as well as to describe the current pharmacological management options available in clinical practice and new prospects that may be helpful in managing ASD's core symptoms.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":402,"journal":{"name":"Pharmacology & Therapeutics","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":12.0000,"publicationDate":"2023-11-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0163725823002280/pdfft?md5=55f18ea29f4d9dcbf44be4c50427e0df&pid=1-s2.0-S0163725823002280-main.pdf","citationCount":"1","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Pharmacology & Therapeutics","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0163725823002280","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"PHARMACOLOGY & PHARMACY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 1
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by three core impairments: impaired communication, impaired reciprocal social interaction, and restricted, repetitive, and stereotypical behavior patterns. Spectrum refers to the heterogeneity of presentation, severity of symptoms, and medical comorbidities associated with ASD. Among the most common underlying medical conditions are attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, depression, epilepsy, digestive disorders, metabolic disorders, and immune disorders. At present, in the absence of an objective and accurate diagnosis of ASD, such as a blood test, pharmacological management remains a challenge. There are no approved medications to treat the core symptoms of the disorder and behavioral interventions are typically used as first line treatment. Additionally, psychotropic drugs with different mechanisms of action have been approved to reduce associated symptoms and comorbidities, including aripiprazole, risperidone, and haloperidol for irritability and aggression, methylphenidate, atomoxetine, clonidine, and guanfacine for ADHD, and melatonin for sleep disturbances. The purpose of this review is to emphasize that it is imperative to develop objective, personalized diagnostic kits in order to tailor and individualize treatment strategies, as well as to describe the current pharmacological management options available in clinical practice and new prospects that may be helpful in managing ASD's core symptoms.
期刊介绍:
Pharmacology & Therapeutics, in its 20th year, delivers lucid, critical, and authoritative reviews on current pharmacological topics.Articles, commissioned by the editor, follow specific author instructions.This journal maintains its scientific excellence and ranks among the top 10 most cited journals in pharmacology.