University to Study Autism and ADHD

The University of Pittsburgh has been awarded $3 million from the National Institute of Mental Health to study the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in children with autism. The study will test two types of treatment: a nonstimulant medication and parent management training.

"'ADHD symptoms are common in children with autism, but children with autism often do not respond well to stimulant medications, the conventional treatment for ADHD,' said Benjamin Handen, Ph.D., principal investigator of the study and associate professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine."

The 10-week clinical trial will start enrolling patients in September. Researchers hope to recruit 144 children ages 5 to 13 who have both autism and symptoms of ADHD. Source: MediLexicon News

Labels: research, studies, treatment