Therapeutic Advances in Autism and Other Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Excerpt

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is defined by persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction, as well as by restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities. Recent advances in genetic research indicate that there may be nearly 1000 genes that contribute to the susceptibility of developing ASD. While the genetic revolution has enabled us to identify a genetic etiology in a significant proportion of our patients, the number of treatments available to treat patients with ASD has not changed. For example, while risperidone and aripiprazole have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for treating irritability associated with ASD, there are no drugs currently approved treating autism’s 2 core characteristics—deficits in social communication/interaction, and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities. Behavioral treatments, such as applied behavior analysis, remain the mainstay of therapeutic options in ASD today. Because it has been 5 years since an issue of Neurotherapeutics was dedicated to ASD, we thought it was appropriate time for an update in the field. …