Abstract

Background: Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a group of complex developmental disabilities which can cause behavior, social, and communication deficits. Anti-psychotic medications are often prescribed when symptoms such as aggression, irritability, hyperactivity, tantrums, and self-injurious behavior occur. Objective: To determine if anti-psychotic medications improve the behavior, social, and communication symptoms associated with ASD in children and adolescents. Search Strategy: Electronic literature searches were performed to find relevant studies and utilized the (1) Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (2) Hispanic American Periodicals Index, (3) Medline, (4) PAIS International, (5) ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, (6) PsycInfo, (7) PubMed, (8) Springer LINK, (9) Taylor and Francis Journals, and (10) Sage Premier. Selection Criteria: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or quasi-experimental design (QED) studies of any dose of an anti-psychotic medication compared to a placebo or other prescription drug, in participants with autism spectrum disorder. Data Collection and Analysis: All studies which met the full-text level criteria were reviewed by a third party to validate the decision of inclusion. Meta-analyses in this review implemented both random and fixed-effects models. Main Results: Ten RCTs were included. Six studies evaluated a drug versus a placebo and four studies investigated the effects of two separate anti-psychotic medications or the efficacy of an additive medication to a drug and placebo group. Author's Conclusions: Limited evidence suggests the effectiveness of anti-psychotic medications in treating the behavior, social, and associated with autism; however, further research is needed to determine the implications of long-term use.

Notes

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Thesis Completion

2012

Semester

Spring

Advisor

Ramirez, Bernardo

Degree

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

College

Office of Undergraduate Studies

Degree Program

Interdisciplinary Studies

Subjects

Dissertations, Academic -- Office of Interdisciplinary Studies;Office of Interdisciplinary Studies -- Dissertations, Academic

Format

PDF

Identifier

CFH0004197

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Document Type

Honors in the Major Thesis

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