A drug approved for Alzheimer’s disease boosts social functioning in autistic children, according to a new study.
A randomized clinical trial involving 42 participants found that the drug, memantine, resulted in better social interactions and communication, researchers said in the study published on Oct. 1 by the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The trial, which was also placebo-controlled and double-blind, was carried out from January 2015 to July 2018. Participants had been diagnosed with autism and had IQs of at least 85. They were recruited from psychiatry clinics.
Thirty-three youth completed the trial, including 16 who received memantine.
Nine out of 16 of the memantine recipients showed improvements in social functioning, as marked in scores on a responsiveness scale and rated by clinicians, compared with 21 percent of placebo recipients….