Review of pharmacogenomics of psychiatric comorbidities in autism spectrum disorder.

Abstract

Approximately 70% of individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) receive at least one psychotropic medication to treat comorbidities. However, the response to treatment with these drugs is far from satisfactory, with 30-50% of treated patients not responding adequately or developing severe and long-lasting side effects. There is strong evidence of the clinical utility of pharmacogenetics for the personalization of antipsychotic and antidepressant treatments in adult populations. However, the use of pharmacogenetic interventions for the personalization of treatment in ASD populations is minimal. The aim of this review is to summarize the findings of pharmacogenetic studies conducted in subjects with ASD and illustrate their utility in the personalization of treatment with psychoactive drugs in this population group.