ABSTRACT
Previous trials of secretin for the treatment of autism have utilized a single or double dose administered intravenously. This is a report of a double-blind, randomized, controlled crossover trial of transdermally applied secretin in 15 children diagnosed with autism or pervasive developmental delay. Secretin or placebo was applied daily, in ointment form, to the backs of the children in randomized, successive 4 week periods with an intermediate 6 week washout period. Behavioral outcomes were measured by parents and teachers using the Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist. Overall, there were no statistically significant differences in speech, sociability, sensory, and health scores for treatment versus placebo periods. In addition, there were no differences in such scores for children with a history of diarrhea. Severity of autism was significantly greater at baseline in children receiving concomitant medications. Improvement in speech was found during the treatment phase of the trial (p=0.0479 for secretin versus placebo) only in children not using other medications.
Subject(s)
Autistic Disorder/drug therapy , Child Behavior/drug effects , Secretin/therapeutic use , Administration, Cutaneous , Autistic Disorder/psychology , Child , Child, Preschool , Cross-Over Studies , Double-Blind Method , Female , Humans , Male , Speech/drug effects , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
Secretin has been proposed as a treatment alternative for autistic spectrum disorders, but empirical support is lacking. A double-blind placebo-controlled study examined the effect of a single dose of synthetic human secretin on aberrant behavior. Parent and teacher data from the Aberrant Behavior Checklist for eight male children were analyzed for reliable change in a clinical replication series. By parent and teacher report, the majority of change occurred either on the placebo trial or reflected deterioration subsequent to secretin infusion. Repeated-measures multivariate analysis of variance results were similar. Results are consistent with other studies, suggesting that secretin may not be an effective treatment option.
