Treating Irritability in Children and Adolescents With Autism

Here is a short term study on the use of medication in autism. They admit that all the side effects would not have been fully manifest in this short study and many would probably be on the medication for long time.

Garry F. Gordon MD,DO,MD(H)
President, Gordon Research Institute
www.gordonresearch.com

Full article: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/716534?src=mp&spon=17&uac=81207PR

Excerpt:

MedWire News: Bipolar disorder is the most prevalent comorbid psychiatric condition found in young patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a Japanese study has found.
This finding goes against previous research showing that depression is the main psychiatric disorder in ASD, but the team from Kanazawa University Hospital says clinicians may be overlooking manic symptoms in depressed ASD patients.

“As individuals with ASD have limited verbal communication abilities and inappropriate facial expressions, it remains uncertain whether they are verbalizing their inner experiences, such as sadness or inflated self-esteem,” say T Munesue and colleagues in the Journal of Affective Disorders. The researchers also speculate that ASD and bipolar disorder may share common etiological factors, possibly through genetic pleiotrophism.
Munesue et al evaluated 44 patients with ASD aged 12 years or older who had an intelligence quotient of 70 or higher on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale. Patients were either referred for evaluation of ASD or sought care for psychological complaints, such as school refusal, self-injury, violence, or occupational maladaptation, but were later diagnosed as having ASD.