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59 active trials for Autism

Neuroimaging Predictors of Improvement to Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) in Young Children With Autism

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a very heterogeneous disorder with limited empirically validated behavioral and biological interventions. The goal of this pilot investigation is to apply a biologically-based approach to identify predictors of treatment response in children with ASD who are receiving Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT), an evidence-based behavioral intervention. Specifically, the investigators propose to identify neuroimaging biomarkers of treatment response to a PRT program (PRT-P) targeting language deficits in young children with ASD who will be randomized to either PRT-P or to a delayed treatment group (DTG).

Start: December 2018

Advocating for Supports to Improve Service Transitions

This is a randomized intervention study to test and develop the national curriculum of a parent intervention training targeting parent's ability for advocate for services to improve the transition to adulthood for their youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). UPDATE regarding COVID-19: The current intervention has been paused until it is safe to meet as a group again. We are still recruiting participants for cohort 2 (in TN and IL) and Cohort 1 and 2 (in WI), as the plan is to resume the intervention as soon as the situation allows and to keep the future scheduled interventions happening in the Fall of 2020, Fall of 2021 and Winter of 2022. For the baseline data collection visit, we have moved to remote data collection for all measures except the psychological testing with the youth - meaning that families will be able to partially complete baseline data via teleconference and/or phone calls and online surveys. In-person visits to complete the psychological testing with the youth will be scheduled in the future when it is safe to meet face to face.

Start: January 2020

Near-infrared Spectroscopy and Electroencephalography to Assess Cortical Activation During Motor Tasks in Infants and Toddlers With and Without Cerebral Palsy

Background: New ways to study the brain as people move include near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and electroencephalography (EEG). NIRS uses laser light shone through the scalp to look at blood flow in the brain which increases with movement. EEG records electrical activity in the brain. Little is known about brain activity while children learn new motor skills. Researchers want to learn more about how small children with and without cerebral palsy use their brain to control their body. This may help them find new ways to help children move better. Objectives: To learn more about how infants and young children with and without cerebral palsy use their brain to move their arms and legs. Eligibility: Children ages 3 months - 5 years with and without cerebral palsy Design: Participants will be screened with: Physical exam Questions for the parents about the child s health Participants will have at least 1 study session. Some may have up to 34 (all optional). In the sessions, participants will do motor tasks along with some or all of the following: Light sensors placed on the scalp, held there with a cap or Velcro straps. Small metal disks placed on the scalp with a cap or straps, with gel between them. Motion capture recording. Balls attached to the arms and legs by stickers, straps, or a garment are tracked by infrared and video cameras. Motor tasks include reaching, clapping, kicking, and standing. Participants may be placed in a toy or device that uses a motor to move their limbs. Participants head size, hair, and skin will be assessed. Parents will answer questions about their child s typical movements.

Start: May 2018

Parent Telehealth Intervention for Children With Autism

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, telecoaching/telepractice models are of urgent importance. Given this, parents in the study will receive parent coaching through weekly video calls. To help us understand the best types of telecoaching, we will offer all participants responsive coaching, with half of the participants receiving an additional opportunity to reflect on their own use of language strategies with a therapist using video feedback and the other half receiving responsive coaching as usual, without video feedback. This information is important in helping us to understand the best way to coach parents using a telepractice model so that parents implement the intervention at high fidelity. Furthermore, we will aim to understand how parent learning style may also influence the implementation of these strategies.

Start: March 2020

Translating Peer-to-Peer Support Into a Clinical Setting

There is not a lot of research focusing on Black and African American families raising young children with developmental delays. While the investigators know that early intervention helps children and their families, Black children with developmental delays are less likely to access such services. The causes for these racial disparities are largely unknown. Researchers have recommended caregiver support programming while on waitlists to improve caregiver-provider interactions and caregiver knowledge of the diagnostic process and developmental delays. Once a child is referred to a clinic for developmental concerns, long appointment waitlists contribute to further delays in timely diagnosis and treatment, as well as parental distress. Support programs for waitlisted families can begin to address these challenges. In this study, the investigators will examine a program called Parents Taking Action with families on a waitlist for a specialty developmental evaluation. The investigators will study if the program is feasible in this setting, if participants like the program, and if child and parent outcomes improve after participants have completed the program.

Start: September 2020

A Behavioral Intervention for Ameliorating Sleep Problems in Children With ASD

The present study will test the effectiveness of a behavioral intervention program that targets sleep problems in 1.5-5-year-old children with ASD. Sleep patterns will be measured using questionnaires and sleep diaries that will be completed by the parents as well as by Fitbit sensors that will be placed on the child's wrist or back of the arm. The study will also explore whether specific child (e.g., severity of cognitive abilities) or parent characteristics (e.g., parent stress levels) impact the effectiveness of the intervention. In addition, we will examine whether changes in sleep disturbances are associated with changes in the family's quality of life.

Start: October 2020

Photobiomodulation in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

The purpose of this 8-week open-label study is to assess the tolerability, safety, and efficacy of Transcranial LED Therapy in patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The investigators propose to enroll up to 30 subjects of both genders ages 18-59 years with intact intellectual functions who meet the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Participation requires treatment sessions at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) twice weekly for eight weeks, totaling 16 visits. Each session lasts approximately 45 minutes. During the treatment session, the subject will lie down comfortably on an exam bed. Subjects will also be asked to complete a series of self-report questionnaires related to their symptoms and quality of life.

Start: April 2017

Trial of Cannabidiol to Treat Severe Behavior Problems in Children With Autism

There are very few treatments that are effective in reducing severe behavioral problems associated with autism. These behaviors include aggressive and self-harm behaviors, frequent repetitive behaviors and severe hyperactivity. This study is being conducted to determine whether cannabidiol can reduce any or all of these problem behaviors.

Start: June 2020

Boston Outcomes of Autism in Toddlers Study

The purpose of this research study is to learn more about the outcomes of children who received an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis when they were toddlers. The study is interested in whether an early diagnosis can help children with their cognitive, language, social, and behavioral abilities.

Start: June 2018

Parent Language Intervention for Autism

Improving social communication outcomes for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has important public health implications. The proposed research is a randomized controlled trial of 108 children with ASD that examines how specific parent characteristics influence outcomes of two different parent-mediated language interventions. Evaluating effective language intervention strategies for children with ASD supports NIDCD's mission of behavioral research aimed to remediate the disordered process of language development in children with ASD.

Start: August 2015

Group Social ABCs: Early Intervention for Toddlers With Suspected ASD

The Social ABCs is an evidence-based, developmentally informed, caregiver-mediated behavioural intervention for toddlers with suspected or confirmed Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It is based on principles of Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT, grounded in Applied Behavioural Analysis), and responsive parenting. The two key targets of this program are functional verbal communication and positive caregiver-child affect sharing. This intervention takes place in the context of play and daily routines, and in all contexts is made to be fun. In both a pilot study and a recently completed randomized control trial, toddlers whose caregivers received training in the Social ABCs intervention showed significant gains in early language development (both responsivity and initiations), increased child smiling (mediated by parent smiling), and a trend toward increased social orienting (one important manifestation of social attention). In an effort to make the Social ABCs more feasible for community service providers to provide this intervention to higher number families, an abbreviated version of the Social ABCs intervention is being offered in a mixed group/individual format in a clinic setting. The primary goal of this pilot project is to assess feasibility of this abbreviated program in the novel format and setting. The secondary goal is to train clinical service providers to facilitate this intervention, thus introducing the program into community practice.

Start: March 2018

Project EARLY: Engagement, Assessment, Referral, & Linkage for Young Children

Emerging evidence demonstrates that Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can be reliably diagnosed by age two, and that early identification and intervention can improve outcomes. Low-income and minority children with ASD, however, are diagnosed later and experience greater delays in service provision than their white and more financially advantaged peers. Feasible, culturally appropriate interventions with broad scale-up potential are necessary to reduce this disparity. This project builds upon pilot studies of an adapted version of Patient Navigation, as means to reduce disparities in ASD diagnosis and service provision. Patient Navigation is a lay-delivered case management approach that focuses on overcoming logistical hurdles to care during a defined episode. This project has 2 components, both of which take place in urban, integrated care networks that provide healthcare to low-income children. This registration is for the clinical trial component of the study. The project is a multisite, randomized comparative effectiveness trial of a systemic, lay-delivered adaptation of Patient Navigation, referred to as Family Navigation (FN), which begins with a failed autism screen and ends 100 days after an ASD diagnosis is made. The basic structure of both intervention arms is a collaborative care system. The conventional care management arm (CCM) is consistent with the type of care provided within a traditional - but high quality - medical home. The FN arm provides more intensive, individually tailored, care coordination and theory-based family support.

Start: February 2015

Genetic Contributions to Autism Spectrum Disorders

This study is working towards gaining a better understanding of the genetic and environmental factors involved in autism spectrum disorders (ASD), which includes autism, pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), and Asperger's syndrome. The investigators hope that information gained from this study will lead to new ways of diagnosing and treating ASDs.

Start: April 2007

Sulforaphane in a New Jersey (NJ) Population of Individuals With Autism

This study is a double blind treatment trial that will test if sulforaphane improves core symptoms in autism. The investigators expect to see clinical improvement in some of these areas. Sulforaphanes come from eating certain vegetables such as broccoli. The investigators will be using a preparation that gives specific and reproducible amounts. The investigators will also test specific chemicals and genes needed for sulforaphane usage to try to understand differences in response.

Start: February 2016

Safety and Efficacy of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation

The gut microbiota is critical to health and functions with a level of complexity comparable to that of an organ system. Dysbiosis, or alterations of this gut microbiota ecology, have been implicated in a number of disease states. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), defined as infusion of feces from healthy donors to affected subjects, is a method to restore a balanced gut microbiota and has attracted great interest in recent years due to its efficacy and ease of use. FMT is now recommended as the most effective therapy for CDI not responding to standard therapies. Recent studies have suggested that dysbiosis is associated with a variety of disorders, and that FMT could be a useful treatment. Randomized controlled trial has been conducted in a number of disorders and shown positive results, including alcoholic hepatitis, Crohn's disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC), pouchitis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), hepatic encephalopathy and metabolic syndrome. Case series/reports and pilot studies has shown positive results in other disorders including Celiac disease, functional dyspepsia, constipation, metabolic syndrome such as diabetes mellitus, multidrug-resistant, hepatic encephalopathy, multiple sclerosis, pseudo-obstruction, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) or Vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE) infection, radiation-induced toxicity, multiple organ dysfunction, dysbiotic bowel syndrome, MRSA enteritis, Pseudomembranous enteritis, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), and atopy. Despite FMT appears to be relatively safe and efficacious in treating a wide range of disease, its safety and efficacy in a usual clinical setting is unknown. More data is required to confirm safety and efficacy of FMT. Therefore, the investigators aim to conduct a pilot study to investigate the efficacy and safety of FMT in a variety of dysbiosis-associated disorder.

Start: July 2019

Safety and Efficacy of the Transfusion of UCB in Patients With an ASD Depending on the Degree of HLA Compatibility.

Autism is one of those disorders in Autism spectrum disorders (ASD), which characterized by social interaction abnormalities, impaired verbal and non-verbal communication, and repetitive, obsessive behavior, while the therapeutic effect of current treatments remains limited progress. The possible reason for ASD is neural hypoperfusion and immune dysregulation. The Human Umbilical Cord Blood Mononuclear Cells (hUCB-MNCs) have been shown to have the ability to modulate the immune response and enhance angiogenesis, suggesting the novel and promising therapeutic strategy. In this study, the safety and efficacy of hUCB-MNCs infusion will be evaluated in patients with Autism with regarding to HLA compatibility.

Start: August 2019

Brain Plasticity of Autism in Response to Early Behavioral Intervention: A Multimodal MRI Study

Autism is a well-recognized neurodevelopmental disorder severely affecting the health of children. While the unclear neurobiological basis of autism and the lack of effective medication, the most commonly used approach for treatment is behavioral intervention. However, the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the intervention therapy remains incompletely understood. The current project aims to explore the impacts of different early behavioral intervention methods on brain plasticity of autism using multimodal MRI technique and provide guidelines for the intervention and treatment of autism by evaluating the efficiency of these methods.

Start: May 2016

5Minutes4Myself: A Wellness Program for Caregivers

This research study refines a wellness program designed for caregivers of autistic children called 5Minutes4Myself and further investigates its feasibility. Participants will attend a workshop to consent, participate in focus groups on lifestyle issues, and complete a baseline survey. Participants will have an individualized consultation with a coach to develop their tailored wellness program and be introduced to an app that support habits to build wellness activities into their daily life. The app provides the participant with their goal profile, tailored reminders, weekly check-ins, and delivers a micro-mindfulness program. Coaches will check-in monthly with participants and work together to modify their program as desired. After 4-6 months, participants will gather for a closing workshop to discuss their lifestyle and to evaluate the program. Pre-/post-surveys will examine health, well-being, stress, depression, and mindfulness. The app usability will be assessed using the Modified Systems Usability Scale (MSUS) as well as usage data.

Start: November 2015

Understanding the Effects of Intervention on the Brain in Autism

This study examines how the PEERS (Laugeson & Frankel, 2010; Laugeson, 2016) social-behavioral intervention affects social relationships and brain development and function in autistic preschoolers, adolescents, and young adults.

Start: August 2010