A drug originally developed to treat Alzheimer’s disease may also help teenagers with autism improve their communication skills, according to a new study.
The drug, called memantine, works by blocking brain receptors for glutamate, a chemical messenger that can be harmful in high amounts.
However, lowering glutamate levels can slow brain damage in certain conditions.
One brain region with many glutamate receptors is the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (pgACC), which plays a role in social behaviour and emotional awareness.
Autism spectrum disorder – an umbrella term for various forms of a developmental disorder – begins in early childhood and affects around one in 127 people worldwide.
Children with autism have difficulties in social interaction and communication.
They exhibit stereotypical behaviour and have limited interests, often avoiding physical or eye contact.
At the same time, they are often reliable, honest and direct, and have special talents in certain areas.
Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard University in the United States tested memantine in a new clinical trial, giving the drug at higher doses to a specific group of children with autism.
The study included 33 participants between the ages of eight and 17, most of them boys who did not have intellectual disabilities.
Half received 20mg of memantine daily for 12 weeks, while the other half received a placebo.
The strongest improvements were seen in children with unusually high glutamate levels in the pgACC.
About 21% of the placebo group showed meaningful progress, but memantine had a greater effect, especially among children with higher glutamate levels, who often also struggle more with communication.
However, the researchers noted some limitations.
The participants were mostly white, which means the results may not apply to all racial or ethnic groups.
In addition, the trial only included teens without intellectual disabilities, so the findings may not represent all children with autism. – dpa
