piperidines and Autistic-Disorder

This review discusses the laboratory and clinical research supporting the rationale for the efficacy of donepezil (Aricept USA) in enhancing cognition in autism, Alzheimer disease, Down syndrome, traumatic brain injury, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and schizophrenia. While preliminary animal models have shown effective, human studies exclusive of Alzheimer disease are sparse. Although attention and memory are unlikely a sole operation of the cholinergic system, evidence indicates a promising direction for further examination of this hypothesis in autism. Studies that examine changes in operationally defined behaviors and reliable and valid measure of changes in attention and memory are needed.

Topics: Alzheimer Disease; Animals; Attention; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity; Autistic Disorder; Brain Injuries; Donepezil; Down Syndrome; Humans; Indans; Learning Disabilities; Memory Disorders; Mental Recall; Nootropic Agents; Piperidines; Schizophrenia; Treatment Outcome

There has been recent interest in the use of cognitive enhancing drugs, such as cholinesterase inhibitors, as a possible treatment for executive functioning (EF) deficits in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The goal of this study was to assess the tolerability, safety, and efficacy of donepezil on EF in a sample of children and adolescents with ASD.. Thirty-four children and adolescents with ASD (age range 8-17 years; IQ >75) were enrolled in a 10-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of donepezil (doses of 5 and 10 mg), followed by a 10-week open label trial for placebo nonresponders.. The effect of donepezil treatment on EF was examined. Despite improvement on a number of EF measures, no statistically significant between-group differences were found (with gains observed for both the placebo and donepezil groups).. The results suggest that short-term treatment with donepezil may have limited impact on cognitive functioning in ASD. Future controlled trials may need to consider a longer treatment period to detect significant gains on EF measures.

Topics: Adolescent; Autistic Disorder; Child; Cholinesterase Inhibitors; Donepezil; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Double-Blind Method; Executive Function; Female; Humans; Indans; Male; Neuropsychological Tests; Piperidines

Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is greatest in the developing brain, is driven by acetylcholine, and may represent a protected time for neuroplasticity. Recently published data from our lab observed that children with autism spent significantly less time in this state during a single night recording than did typically developing children and those with developmental delay without autism. The objective of this study was to determine whether or not donepezil can increase the REM % in children with diagnosed autism spectrum disorder (ASD) found to have REM % values of at least two standard deviations below expected for age.. Five subjects found to have an ASD (ages 2.5-6.9 years) and demonstrated deficits in REM sleep compared with within-lab controls were enrolled in a dose finding study of donepezil. Each subject was examined by polysomnography for REM sleep augmentation after drug administration.. REM sleep as a percentage of Total Sleep Time was increased significantly and REM latency was decreased significantly after drug administration in all subjects. No other observed sleep parameter was changed significantly.. Donepezil can increase the amount of time that children with an ASD spend in the REM sleep state. A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial is needed to assess the association between REM sleep augmentation and learning, cognition, and behavior in such children.

Topics: Autistic Disorder; Child; Child Development Disorders, Pervasive; Child, Preschool; Developmental Disabilities; Donepezil; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Electrocardiography; Humans; Indans; Male; Nootropic Agents; Piperidines; Polysomnography; Sleep; Sleep Wake Disorders; Sleep, REM; Treatment Outcome

A Phase II, 4-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the Ampakine compound CX516 as a potential treatment for the underlying disorder in fragile X syndrome (FXS). After baseline screening, subjects with FXS (n = 49) underwent a 1-week placebo lead-in and then were randomized to study drug or placebo for a 4-week period. Cognitive and behavioral outcome measures were administered prior to treatment, at the end of treatment, and 2 weeks posttreatment. There were minimal side effects, no significant changes in safety parameters, and no serious adverse events. There was a 12.5% frequency of allergic rash in the CX516 group and 1 subject developed a substantial rash. There was also no significant improvement in memory, the primary outcome measure, or in secondary measures of language, attention/executive function, behavior, and overall functioning in CX516-treated subjects compared to placebo. This study did demonstrate that many outcome measures were reproducible in this test-retest setting for the FXS population, yet some were too difficult or variable. Adult subjects with FXS were able to complete an intensive clinical trial, and some valid outcome measures were identified for future FXS trial design. Problems with potency of CX516 in other studies have suggested dosing may have been inadequate for therapeutic effect and thus it remains unclear whether modulation of AMPA-mediated neurotransmission is a viable therapeutic strategy for the treatment of FXS.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Autistic Disorder; Child Behavior Disorders; Cognition Disorders; Dioxoles; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Double-Blind Method; Drug Eruptions; Female; Fragile X Syndrome; Humans; Long-Term Potentiation; Male; Neuronal Plasticity; Neuropsychological Tests; Personality Assessment; Piperidines; Receptors, AMPA; Synaptic Transmission; Treatment Outcome

Quinine is an antimalarial drug that is toxic to the auditory system by commonly inducing hearing loss and tinnitus, presumably due to its ototoxic effects on disruption of cochlear hair cells and blockade of ion channels of neurons in the auditory system. To a lesser extent, quinine also causes ataxia, tremor, and dystonic reactions. As dopaminergic neurons are implicated to play a role in all of these diseases, we tested the toxicity of quinine on induced dopaminergic (iDA) neurons derived from human pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and primary dopaminergic (DA) neurons of substantia nigra from mice brain slices. Patch clamp recordings and combined drug treatments were performed to examine key physiological properties of the DA neurons. We found that quinine (12.5-200 μM) depolarized the resting membrane potential and attenuated the amplitudes of rebound spikes induced by hyperpolarization. Action potentials were also broadened in spontaneously spiking neurons. In addition to quinine attenuating hyperpolarization-dependent conductance, the tail currents following withdrawal of hyperpolarizing currents were also attenuated. Taken together, we found that iPSC-derived DA neurons recapitulated all the tested physiological properties of human DA neurons, and quinine had distinct effects on the physiology of both iDA and primary DA neurons. This toxicity of quinine may be the underlying mechanism for the movement disorders of cinchonism or quinism and may play a role in tinnitus modulation.

Topics: Action Potentials; Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; Animals; Autistic Disorder; Biotin; Cardiovascular Agents; Dopaminergic Neurons; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Female; Humans; In Vitro Techniques; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Patch-Clamp Techniques; Piperidines; Pluripotent Stem Cells; Potassium Channel Blockers; Pyrimidines; Quinine; Sodium Channel Blockers; Substantia Nigra; Tetrodotoxin; Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase

Autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairment in social communication and restricted/repetitive behavior patterns or interests. Antagonists targeting histamine H3 receptor (H3R) are considered potential therapeutic agents for the therapeutic management of different brain disorders, e.g., cognitive impairments. Therefore, the effects of subchronic treatment with the potent and selective H3R antagonist DL77 (5, 10, or 15 mg/kg, i.p.) on sociability, social novelty, anxiety, and aggressive/repetitive behavior in male Tuck-Ordinary (TO) mice with ASD-like behaviors induced by prenatal exposure to valproic acid (VPA, 500 mg/kg, i.p.) were evaluated using the three-chamber test (TCT), marble burying test (MBT), nestlet shredding test (NST), and elevated plus maze (EPM) test. The results showed that VPA-exposed mice exhibited significantly lower sociability and social novelty preference compared to VPA-exposed mice that were pretreated with DL77 (10 or 15 mg/kg, i.p.). VPA-exposed mice presented a significantly higher percentage of buried marbles in MBT and shredded nestlet significantly more in NST compared to the control groups. However, VPA-exposed animals pretreated with DL77 (10 or 15 mg/kg, i.p.) buried a reduced percentage of marbles in MBT and presented a significantly lower percentage of shredding behavior in NST. On the other hand, pretreatment with DL77 (5, 10, or 15 mg/kg, i.p.) failed to restore the disturbed anxiety levels and hyperactivity observed in VPA-exposed animals in EPM, whereas the reference drug donepezil (DOZ, 1 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly palliated the anxiety and reduced the hyperactivity measures of VPA-exposed mice. Furthermore, pretreatment with DL77 (10 or 15 mg/kg, i.p.) modulated oxidative stress status by increasing GSH and decreasing MDA, and it attenuated the proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α exacerbated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge, in VPA-exposed mouse brain tissue. Taken together, these results provide evidence that modulation of brain histaminergic neurotransmission, such as by subchronic administration of the H3R antagonist DL77, may serve as an effective pharmacological therapeutic target to rescue ASD-like behaviors in VPA-exposed animals, although further investigations are necessary to corroborate and expand these initial data.

Topics: Animals; Anxiety; Autistic Disorder; Behavior, Animal; Brain; Choice Behavior; Cytokines; Disease Models, Animal; Donepezil; Exploratory Behavior; Female; Histamine H3 Antagonists; Inflammation Mediators; Malondialdehyde; Maze Learning; Mice; Motor Activity; Oxidative Stress; Phenyl Ethers; Piperidines; Receptors, Histamine H3; Social Behavior; Stereotyped Behavior; Valproic Acid

In humans a chromosomal hemideletion of the 16p11.2 region results in variable neurodevelopmental deficits including developmental delay, intellectual disability, and features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Serotonin is implicated in ASD but its role remains enigmatic. In this study we sought to determine if and how abnormalities in serotonin neurotransmission could contribute to the behavioral phenotype of the 16p11.2 deletion syndrome in a mouse model (Del mouse). As ASD is frequently associated with altered response to acute stress and stress may exacerbate repetitive behavior in ASD, we studied the Del mouse behavior in the context of an acute stress using the forced swim test, a paradigm well characterized with respect to serotonin. Del mice perseverated with active coping (swimming) in the forced swim test and failed to adopt passive coping strategies with time as did their wild-type littermates. Analysis of monoamine content by HPLC provided evidence for altered endogenous serotonin neurotransmission in Del mice while there was no effect of genotype on any other monoamine. Moreover, we found that Del mice were highly sensitive to the 5-HT2A antagonists M100907, which at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg normalized their level of active coping and restored the gradual shift to passive coping in the forced swim test. Supporting evidence for altered endogenous serotonin signaling was provided by observations of additional ligand effects including altered forebrain Fos expression. Taken together, these observations indicate notable changes in endogenous serotonin signaling in 16p11.2 deletion mice and support the therapeutic utility of 5-HT2A receptor antagonists.

Topics: Adaptation, Psychological; Animals; Autistic Disorder; Behavior, Animal; Chromosome Deletion; Chromosome Disorders; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 16; Disease Models, Animal; Fluorobenzenes; Intellectual Disability; Male; Mice; Piperidines; Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A; Serotonin; Serotonin 5-HT2 Receptor Antagonists; Stress, Psychological

Restricted and repetitive behaviors are a defining feature of autism, which can be expressed as a cognitive flexibility deficit or stereotyped, motor behaviors. There is limited knowledge about the underlying neuropathophysiology contributing to these behaviors. Previous findings suggest that central 5HT

Topics: Animals; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Autistic Disorder; Cognition Disorders; Corpus Striatum; Disease Models, Animal; Exploratory Behavior; Fluorobenzenes; Grooming; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred Strains; Neostriatum; Piperidines; Prefrontal Cortex; Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A; Reversal Learning; Serotonin 5-HT2 Receptor Antagonists; Stereotyped Behavior

Autism spectrum disorders are a group of neurodevelopmental disorders characterised by impaired social interaction, deficits in communication and repetitive stereotyped behaviours. The endocannabinoid system plays an important role in modulating emotionality and social responding, however there have been a paucity of studies investigating this system in autistic animal models. This study investigated the effect of inhibiting fatty acid amide hydrolyase (FAAH), the anandamide catabolic enzyme, on behavioural responding in the valproic acid (VPA) rat model of autism. Male rats prenatally exposed to VPA exhibit an autistic-like behavioural phenotype exemplified as thermal hypoalgesia, reduced social and exploratory behaviour, and enhanced repetitive behaviour. Systemic administration of the FAAH inhibitor PF3845 (10mg/kg) attenuated the deficit in social behaviour observed in VPA exposed male animals without altering nociceptive, repetitive or exploratory behaviour. In comparison, female VPA exposed rats displayed enhanced repetitive and reduced exploratory behaviour, but no change in social behaviour or thermal nociceptive responding. PF3845 did not alter social, repetitive or thermal nociceptive responding, but reduced exploratory behaviour in a social context in VPA-, but not saline-, exposed females. These data indicate that FAAH inhibition elicits sexual dimorphic effects on behavioural responding in VPA exposed rodents, and support an important role for FAAH in the regulation of social behavioural deficits in autistic males.

Topics: Amidohydrolases; Animals; Arachidonic Acids; Autistic Disorder; Behavior, Animal; Disease Models, Animal; Endocannabinoids; Female; Male; Piperidines; Polyunsaturated Alkamides; Pyridines; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Sex Characteristics; Social Behavior; Valproic Acid

A single, maternally inherited, X-linked point mutation leading to an arginine to cysteine substitution at amino acid 451 (R451C) of Neuroligin 3 (NLGN3R451C) is a likely cause of autism in two brothers. Knockin mice expressing the Nlgn3R451C mutation in place of wild-type Nlgn3 demonstrate increased inhibitory synaptic strength in somatosensory cortex, resulting in an excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) imbalance that is potentially relevant for autism-associated behavioral deficits characteristic of these mice. We have replicated the increase in evoked inhibitory postsynaptic currents (eIPSCs) onto layer II/III cortical pyramidal neurons. We also find that increased frequency of spontaneous mIPSCs in Nlgn3R451C mice occurs in the absence of action potential-driven transmission. This suggests the E/I imbalance is due to changes at the synapse level, as opposed to the network level. Next, we use paired whole-cell recordings in an attempt to identify specific interneuron subtypes affected by the Nlgn3R451C mutation. Curiously, we observe no change in the amplitude of cell-to-cell, unitary IPSCs (uIPSCs) from parvalbumin-positive (PV) or somatostatin-positive (SOM) interneurons onto pyramidal neurons. We also observe no change in the number or density of PV and SOM interneurons in LII/III of somatosensory cortex. This effectively rules out a role for these particular interneurons in the increased inhibitory synaptic transmission, pointing to perhaps alternative interneuron subtypes. Lastly, impaired endocannabinoid signaling has been implicated in hippocampal synaptic dysfunction in Nlgn3R451C mice, but has not been investigated at cortical synapses. We find that bath application of the CB1 antagonist, AM 251 in WT mice eliminates the Nlgn3R451C increase in eIPSC amplitude and mIPSC frequency, indicating that increased inhibitory transmission in mutant mice is due, at least in part, to a loss of endocannabinoid signaling through CB1 receptors likely acting at interneurons other than PV or SOM.

Topics: Amino Acid Substitution; Animals; Autistic Disorder; Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal; Disease Models, Animal; Endocannabinoids; Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory; Hippocampus; Humans; Interneurons; Male; Membrane Proteins; Mice; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Piperidines; Pyrazoles; Signal Transduction; Somatosensory Cortex; Synaptic Transmission

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are defined by behavioral deficits in social interaction and communication, repetitive stereotyped behaviors, and restricted interests/cognitive rigidity. Recent studies in humans and animal-models suggest that dysfunction of the cholinergic system may underlie autism-related behavioral symptoms. Here we tested the hypothesis that augmentation of acetylcholine (ACh) in the synaptic cleft by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase may ameliorate autistic phenotypes. We first administered the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor (AChEI) Donepezil systemically by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections. Second, the drug was injected directly into the rodent homolog of the caudate nucleus, the dorsomedial striatum (DMS), of the inbred mouse strain BTBR T+tf/J (BTBR), a commonly-used model presenting all core autism-related phenotypes and expressing low brain ACh levels. We found that i.p. injection of AChEI to BTBR mice significantly relieved autism-relevant phenotypes, including decreasing cognitive rigidity, improving social preference, and enhancing social interaction, in a dose-dependent manner. Microinjection of the drug directly into the DMS, but not into the ventromedial striatum, led to significant amelioration of the cognitive-rigidity and social-deficiency phenotypes. Taken together, these findings provide evidence of the key role of the cholinergic system and the DMS in the etiology of ASD, and suggest that elevated cognitive flexibility may result in enhanced social attention. The potential therapeutic effect of AChEIs in ASD patients is discussed.

Topics: Acetylcholine; Animals; Autistic Disorder; Caudate Nucleus; Cholinesterase Inhibitors; Cognition Disorders; Corpus Striatum; Disease Models, Animal; Donepezil; Drug Administration Routes; Exploratory Behavior; Indans; Interpersonal Relations; Locomotion; Male; Maze Learning; Mice; Mice, Inbred Strains; Piperidines; Social Behavior Disorders; Stereotyped Behavior

Post natal exposure to VPA (valproic acid) in mice induces behavioral deficits, abnormal sensitivity to sensory stimuli and self-injurious behavior, observed in autism. Piperine has been reported to have protective effect on brain. The present study aimed at evaluating effect of piperine on VPA induced neurobehavioral and biochemical alterations in BALB/c mice. Young BALB/c mice 13 days old were procured from five different litters and segregated into five groups (n=6; 3 male, 3 female) i.e., Group I served as control group, received physiological saline on PND (Post natal day) 14 & Tween 80 p.o. from PND13-40. Group II served as normal treated group and received piperine (20mg/kg p.o.) from PND 13-40 and saline s.c. on PND 14. Group III served as valproate treated group received VPA (400mg/kg s.c.) on PND 14 and Tween 80 p.o. from PND 13-40. Group IV & V served as disease treated group received VPA (400mg/kg s.c.) on PND 14 & piperine (5 & 20mg/kg p.o.) from PND 13-40 respectively. BALB/c mice pups were subjected to behavioral testing to assess motor skill development, nociceptive response, locomotion, anxiety, and cognition on various postnatal days up to PND 40. At the end of behavioral evaluation, mice were sacrificed; brain was isolated for biochemical estimations (serotonin, glutathione, MDA and nitric oxide) and histopathological examination. Our study revealed that treatment with piperine significantly improved behavioral alterations, lowered oxidative stress markers, and restored histoarchitecture of cerebellum. This ameliorating effect of piperine is attributed to its anti-oxidant activity, cognition enhancing and neuroprotective activity.

Topics: Alkaloids; Animals; Anxiety; Autistic Disorder; Benzodioxoles; Biomarkers; Brain; Cognition; Disease Models, Animal; Locomotion; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Motor Skills; Oxidative Stress; Piperidines; Polyunsaturated Alkamides; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome; Valproic Acid

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social interactions with restricted interests and repetitive behaviors (RRBs). RRBs can severely limit daily living and be particularly stressful to family members. To date, there are limited options for treating this feature in ASD. Risperidone, an atypical antipsychotic, is approved to treat irritability in ASD, but less is known about whether it is effective in treating "higher order" RRBs, for example cognitive inflexibility. Risperidone also has multiple receptor targets in which only a subset may be procognitive and others induce cognitive impairment. 5HT2A receptor blockade represents one promising and more targeted approach, as various preclinical studies have shown that 5HT2A receptor antagonists improve cognition. The present study investigated whether risperidone and/or M100907, a 5HT2A receptor antagonist, improved probabilistic reversal learning performance in the BTBR T + tf/J (BTBR) mouse model of autism. The effects of these treatments were also investigated in C57BL/6J (B6) mice as a comparison strain. Using a spatial reversal learning test with 80/20 probabilistic feedback, similar to one in which ASD individuals exhibit impairments, both risperidone (0.125 mg) and M100907 (0.01 and 0.1 mg) improved reversal learning in BTBR mice. Risperidone (0.125 mg) impaired reversal learning in B6 mice. Improvement in probabilistic reversal learning performance resulted from treatments enhancing the maintenance of the newly correct choice pattern. Because risperidone can lead to unwanted side effects, treatment with a specific 5HT2A receptor antagonist may improve cognitive flexibility in individuals with ASD while also minimizing unwanted side effects.

Topics: Animals; Antipsychotic Agents; Autistic Disorder; Disease Models, Animal; Fluorobenzenes; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Inbred Strains; Piperidines; Probability Learning; Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A; Reversal Learning; Risperidone; Serotonin 5-HT2 Receptor Antagonists

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of pervasive developmental disorders with core symptoms such as sociability deficit, language impairment, and repetitive/restricted behaviors. Although worldwide prevalence of ASD has been increased continuously, therapeutic agents to ameliorate the core symptoms especially social deficits, are very limited. In this study, we investigated therapeutic potential of donepezil for ASD using valproic acid-induced autistic animal model (VPA animal model). We found that prenatal exposure of valproic acid (VPA) induced dysregulation of cholinergic neuronal development, most notably the up-regulation of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the prefrontal cortex of affected rat and mouse offspring. Similarly, differentiating cortical neural progenitor cell in culture treated with VPA showed increased expression of AChE in vitro. Chromatin precipitation experiments revealed that acetylation of histone H3 bound to AChE promoter region was increased by VPA. In addition, other histone deacetyalse inhibitors (HDACIs) such as trichostatin A and sodium butyrate also increased the expression of AChE in differentiating neural progenitor cells suggesting the essential role of HDACIs in the regulation of AChE expression. For behavioral analysis, we injected PBS or donepezil (0.3 mg/kg) intraperitoneally to control and VPA mice once daily from postnatal day 14 all throughout the experiment. Subchronic treatment of donepezil improved sociability and prevented repetitive behavior and hyperactivity of VPA-treated mice offspring. Taken together, these results provide evidence that dysregulation of ACh system represented by the up-regulation of AChE may serve as an effective pharmacological therapeutic target against autistic behaviors in VPA animal model of ASD, which should be subjected for further investigation to verify the clinical relevance.

Topics: Acetylcholinesterase; Animals; Autistic Disorder; Behavior, Animal; Blotting, Western; Cells, Cultured; Chromatin Immunoprecipitation; Disease Models, Animal; Donepezil; Female; Histones; Immunohistochemistry; Indans; Mice, Inbred ICR; Piperidines; Pregnancy; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; Stereotyped Behavior; Valproic Acid

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder in which the first diagnostic symptom is unusual reciprocal social interactions. Approximately half of the children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder also have intellectual impairments. General cognitive abilities may be fundamental to many aspects of social cognition. Cognitive enhancers could conceivably be of significant benefit to children and adults with autism. AMPAKINE compounds are a novel class of pharmacological agents that act as positive modulators of AMPA receptors to enhance excitatory glutamatergic neurotransmission. This class of compounds was reported to improve learning and memory in several rodent and non-human primate tasks, and to normalize respiratory abnormalities in a mouse model of Rett syndrome. Here we evaluate the actions of AMPA compounds in adult male and female BTBR mice, a well characterized mouse model of autism. Acute treatment with CX1837 and CX1739 reversed the deficit in sociability in BTBR mice on the most sensitive parameter, time spent sniffing a novel mouse as compared to time spent sniffing a novel object. The less sensitive parameter, time in the chamber containing the novel mouse versus time in the chamber containing the novel object, was not rescued by CX1837 or CX1739 treatment. Preliminary data with CX546, in which β-cyclodextrin was the vehicle, revealed behavioral effects of the acute intraperitoneal and oral administration of vehicle alone. To circumvent the artifacts introduced by the vehicle administration, we employed a novel treatment regimen using pellets of peanut butter for drug delivery. Absence of vehicle treatment effects when CX1837 and CX1739 were given in the peanut butter pellets, to multiple cohorts of BTBR and B6 control mice, confirmed that the pharmacologically-induced improvements in sociability in BTBR were not confounded by the administration procedures. The highest dose of CX1837 improved the cognitive deficit in novel object recognition in BTBR. No drug effects were detected on the high levels of repetitive self-grooming in BTBR. In open field tests, CX1837 and CX1739 did not induce hyperactivity or sedation in either strain. It is interesting to speculate that the ability of CX1837 and CX1739 to restore aspects of sociability in BTBR mice could utilize synaptic mechanisms regulating social cognition, suggesting a potential pharmacological target for interventions to treat symptoms of autism. This article is part of a Special Issue ent

Topics: Animals; Autistic Disorder; Behavior, Animal; Cognition Disorders; Dioxoles; Disease Models, Animal; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drugs, Investigational; Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; Female; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Inbred Strains; Molecular Targeted Therapy; Nootropic Agents; Piperidines; Random Allocation; Receptors, AMPA; Recognition, Psychology; Social Behavior; Social Behavior Disorders

The Carlsson research group has developed a series of compounds capable of stabilising the dopamine system without inducing the deleterious hypodopaminergia that encumbers the currently used antipsychotic drugs. In the present study one of these dopaminergic stabilisers, ACR16, was tested in a mouse model for cognitive deficits of schizophrenia and autism. Since we believe that hypoglutamatergia is a key element in both schizophrenia and autism we used mice rendered hypoglutamatergic by treatment with the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist MK-801. MK-801 causes both hyperactivity and a behavioural primitivization. ACR16 attenuated the MK-801-induced hyperactivity and, in addition, caused a marked improvement of behavioural quality with a movement pattern approaching that of control animals. Since we believe that the impoverishment of the behavioural repertoire caused by MK-801 may correspond to the cognitive deficits seen in schizophrenia and autism, these results suggest that ACR16 may improve cognitive status in these disorders.

Topics: Animals; Autistic Disorder; Behavior, Animal; Cognition; Dizocilpine Maleate; Dopamine Antagonists; Dopamine D2 Receptor Antagonists; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; Glutamic Acid; Grooming; Haloperidol; Hyperkinesis; Male; Mice; Motor Activity; Piperidines; Schizophrenia

In light of the recently reported neuropathologic and neurochemical abnormalities of the cholinergic pathways in autism, donepezil, a cholinesterase inhibitor, is a potentially useful agent in the treatment of cognitive and behavioral symptoms observed in this disorder. A retrospective pilot study was conducted to determine whether donepezil is effective in the treatment of children and adolescents with autism. Eight patients (mean age = 11.0 +/- 4.1 years; range 7-19 years) who met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edition) criteria for autistic disorder were openly treated with donepezil. All patients were on concomitant psychoactive medications. Four of these patients (50%) demonstrated significant improvement as assessed by the Aberrant Behavior Checklist and the Clinical Global Impression Scale. Decreases in the Irritability and Hyperactivity subscales were observed, but no changes in the Inappropriate Speech, Lethargy, and Stereotypies subscales were noted. Limited and transient side effects were reported, with one patient experiencing gastrointestinal disturbances and another reporting mild irritability. Double-blind, placebo-controlled investigations are needed to provide further evidence of the potential benefits of donepezil to patients with autistic disorder.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Autistic Disorder; Child; Donepezil; Female; Humans; Indans; Male; Pilot Projects; Piperidines; Retrospective Studies

Elevated concentrations of blood serotonin have been documented in autistic children and mentally retarded adults. Antiserotonergic pharmacotherapy has been partially effective in treating a subgroup of children with autistic disorder. Therefore, the possibility is raised that an antiserotonergic treatment may be of value to adult psychiatric patients with a history of pervasive developmental disorder. Two such cases are described where the patients underwent psychiatric and neuropsychological examination before and after treatment with risperidone, a potent 5-HT2 antagonist with additional D2 antagonistic properties. Particular improvements were documented in both patients, despite long histories of cognitive compromise and high likelihood of damage to the central nervous system.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Antipsychotic Agents; Autistic Disorder; Child; Child Development Disorders, Pervasive; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Intellectual Disability; Isoxazoles; Male; Neuropsychological Tests; Piperidines; Risperidone; Serotonin; Stereotyped Behavior

Topics: Adult; Aged; Autistic Disorder; Delusions; Depressive Disorder, Major; Female; Humans; Male; Mental Disorders; Paranoid Disorders; Piperidines; Schizophrenia; Spiro Compounds; Time Factors; Tranquilizing Agents

Topics: Adult; Alanine Transaminase; Aspartate Aminotransferases; Autistic Disorder; Autonomic Nervous System; Catatonia; Female; Hallucinations; Humans; Hypnotics and Sedatives; Liver Function Tests; Male; Mental Disorders; Nausea; Neurotic Disorders; Paranoid Disorders; Personality Disorders; Phenothiazines; Piperidines; Schizophrenia; Sleep Wake Disorders; Stimulation, Chemical; Sweating; Tremor; Vascular Diseases; Vomiting