Pharmacologic Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders - Research Paper Example

? Pharmacologic Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders Autism is among a group of severe developmental troubles usually known as Autism Spectrum that emerges in early childhood normally before three years of age. Though severity and symptoms vary, in all sorts of autism spectrum disorders, a child’s ability to interact and communicate with others is affected. There is an increasing trend in the autistic children. However, it is not apparent that either it is due to improved reporting and detection of autism or a genuine increase in the cases or both. Whilst there is no remedy for autism, rigorous, early treatment is expected to yield a great difference in such children’s lives. Autism and connected disorders, communication and social deficits have become more general over the years and at present have an effect on one in one hundred ten U.S. children, as estimated by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Hollander, Kolevzon, and Coyle 60). This paper attempts to explore literature on the commercializing of medicinal drugs for the behavioral indications of comorbid disorders and autism, psychosocial alternatives and the drawbacks of integration understanding as to hereditary danger elements for autism, and how the genetically transmission of disease may be misinterpreted by patients, their parents, as well as their treating practitioners into a fatalism, genetic determinism, a therapeutic nihilism and quick fix gimmicks. Causes of Autism The causes of autism include not only the environmental factors but also the genetic factors. As it has been reported by the conclusions of twins and family studies that genetic factors participate in the etiology of pervasive developmental disorders as well as autism. It has been consistently determined that the preponderance of autism within autistic children’s siblings is approximately 15-30 times higher than the rate of its predominance within the general population. Moreover, it has been suggested by the research that concordance rate is much higher among monozygotic twins than that in dizygotic twins. It seems that autism is not developed due to one specific gene rather, a number of genes may be involved, each of which poses as a risk element of the autism syndrome by various groups. A number of perinatal and prenatal complications have been described as potential risk elements for autism. These risk elements entails gestational diabetes of the mother, paternal and maternal age above 30, the bleeding reported after the first trimester, utilization of prescription medicine during pregnancy, and the presence of meconium within the amniotic fluid. These factors have not been studied as the cause of autism but each of these has been reported among the autistic children more frequently than in normally developing children (Gardner, Spiegelman, & Buka 350). Perhaps, the most disturbing claim made regarding the etiology of autism was the "vaccine controversy". This conjecture, developing from a case of technological misconduct, proposed that autism consequences from brain damage stimulated either by thimerosal (a vaccine stabilizer, i.e. fifty percent ethyl mercury used for MMR (mumps, measles, rubella) vaccines or by the same vaccine itself. The medical unanimity is that no compelling scientific evidence affirms these claims, grounded on several lines of manifest including the examination that the autism rate proceeds to upgrade despite removal of thimerosal from everyday childhood vaccines (Flaherty 1303). Although being incurable, various scientific alternatives along with the typical medicinal treatment plans have been implemented to improve the behavioral fallacies associated with the autism. These alternatives include behavior modification techniques that are discussed below. Treatment through Medications Findings from groundwork studies of neurochemical agents, as well as the most important neurotransmitters, strongly recommend that neurochemical components play a vital part in the etiology of autism. Nevertheless, upon comparing the scope of research into the neurobiology and etiology of autism, there have been relatively less controlled studies that tackle the pharmacological intervention of ASD. At the same time no drug treatments based on etiology of autism is accessible that particularly attempt to cure autism, an elaborative literature is present that defines the pharmacotherapy handling of the symptoms and related circumstances of autism in adolescents and children, and to a lesser level adults. Although behavioral and educational treatments extend to structure the backbone of intervention for adolescents and children, more and more interest is being demonstrated in the function of medication as a connected medical aid in all age groups. The basic purpose of employing medications in such cases is for the treatment of few symptoms instead of addressing the core symptoms of the disease. For instance, the medicine risperidone, which is sold with the brand name Risperdal, and aripiprazole may be employed to deal behavioral symptoms connected with autism, like outbursts, irritability and aggression (Wang). Existing medicines AAPs (Atypical antipsychotics) are a grouping of drugs initially developed to deal with psychosis. This group involves compounds that were marketed over the past decade as better and safer tolerated options to the existent “distinctive” antipsychotics. Medicines within this group are clozapine, olanzapine, risperidone, ziprazidone, aripiprazole and quetiapine. These compounds are extensively employed in autism, as well as other PDDs, to treat serious maladaptive behaviors and have predominately substituted the traditional (distinctive) antipsychotics like chlorpromazine and haloperidol. The pharmacotherapy with AAP generally addresses symptoms like self injury, aggression, severe tantrums or property destruction (Nikolov, Jonker, and Scahill, 46). These AAPs, nevertheless present distinguishable advantages over the distinctive antipsychotics signified by haloperidol. They have less risk of causing neurological fallouts such as in the long term tardive dyskinesia or Parkinson's in the short term (Wink et al., 485). It has been suggested by the recent data that risperidone is developing as the regular treatment for tantrums, aggression, and self-injury in adolescents, children as well as adults with PDDs (Scahill et al. 1130). Psycho social Alternatives Along with the medical treatment for the symptoms of autistic patients, various behavioral and educational techniques are used as complementary treatment plan. Early thorough behavioral intervention necessitated entire family of the autistic child that works closely with a professional team. In few early treatment programs, healers visit the patient at his/her home to provide their services. These may entail training of parents with the parent extending therapy sessions while a therapist offers his/her services as a supervisor. In other programs, the therapy is being provided by the therapist in a specialized classroom, preschool or center. Typically, diverse supports and interventions become suitable with the development of child and as he/she acquires learning and social skills. For instance, as autistic children enter school, they may gain from directed social skills conditioning and specified approaches to instructing. Autistic adolescents may also gain from transition services that encourage a successful development into independence and may enable for employment opportunities in the adulthood. Objective scientific examinations have substantiated the gains of two methods of the wide-ranging behavioral early treatment. These include the Lovaas Model that is based upon ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) and the Early Start Denver Model. Other normally employed behavioral therapies that have been reported by therapist and parents to be successful include Pivotal Response Therapy, Verbal Behavior Therapy and Floortime (Autism Speaks Inc.). Usually, when it has been inquired by the parents of an autistic child about the causes of the malfunctioning apparent in their child, they are told about the genetically transmitted traits. But this is short solace as it reinforces impressions of guiltiness that autism is transferred from parents to their offspring and strengthens accusations about which part of the family may have added the imperfect genes. As pointed out historically by various psychoanalysts, such genetic determination contributes to therapeutic nihilism. As the genetic factors may furnish clues to the deterrence of disease in the offspring, no further solution is provided and so the parents, as well as the clinician, are unable to provide accurate treatment of this still incurable disorder (Fitzpatrick 50). Works Cited Autism Speaks Inc. How Is Autism Treated? 2013. Web. 20 Feb. 2013. Fitzpatrick, Michael. MMR and Autism: What Parents Need to Know? Routledge, 2012. Print. Flaherty, D. K. "The vaccine-autism connection: a public health crisis caused by unethical medical practices and fraudulent science." The Annals of pharmacotherapy 45.10[2011]: 1302–4. Print. Gardener, Hannah, Donna Spiegelman, and Stephen L. Buka. "Perinatal and Neonatal Risk Factors for Autism: A Comprehensive Meta-analysis". Pediatrics 128.2 [2011]: 344–355. Print. Hollander, Eric, Alex Kolevzon and Joseph T. Coyle. Textbook of Autism Spectrum Disorders. American Psychiatric Pub, 2010. Print. Nikolov, Roumen, Jacob Jonker and Lawrence Scahill. “Autistic disorder: current psychopharmacological treatments and areas of interest for future developments”. Rev Bras Psiquiatr 28[2006]:S39-46. Print. Scahill, L., Leckman J. F., Schultz, R. T. Katsovich, L and Peterson, B. S. “A Placebo-controlled Trial of respridone in Touretter syndrome”. Neurology 60.7 [2003]: 1130-5. Print. Wang, Shirley S. “Autism Treatments Scrutinized in Study.” The Wall Street Journal. 4April, 2011. Web. 20 Feb. 2013. Wink, Logan K., Plawecki, Martin H., Erickson, Craig A., Stigler, Kimberly A., and McDougle, Christopher J. “Emerging Drugs for the Treatment of Symptoms Associated with Autism Spectrum Disorders”. Expert Opin Emerg Drugs 15.3[2010]: 481–494. Print. Read More