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document
Secretin and autism : a two-part clinical investigation . Recent anecdotal reports have touted the gastrointestinal ( GI ) hormone secretin as a treatment modality for autism , though there is little clinical evidence or literature to support its viability . We undertook a two-part clinical trial to investigate these claims . Fifty-six patients ( 49 boys , 7 girls , mean age = 6.4 years , SD = 2.7 ) enrolled in an open-label trial of secretin , during which they received one injection of the hormone ( 2 IU/kg ) . All subjects were evaluated by their parents at baseline and follow-up visits ( 3-6 weeks later , M = 3.7 , SD = 1.4 weeks ) with Childhood Autism Rating Scales ( CARS ) . Thirty-four patients were labeled with Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified , and 22 met diagnostic criteria for Autistic Disorder . Forty-five patients were concurrently on other drug treatments . At follow-up , some reported minimal but potentially significant improvements including changes in GI symptoms , expressive and/or receptive language function , and improved awareness and social interactions . No adverse effects were reported or observed . Subsequently , 17 of the most responsive patients from Study 1 began a double-blind trial that also included 8 newly enrolled patients . Patients in this second study were alternatively entered into one of two groups and received injections of secretin or placebo with crossover at 4 weeks . Patients from Study 1 entered into Study 2 at an average of 6.5 ( SD = 0.8 ) weeks after beginning Study 1 . Results of both inquiries indicate that although treatment with secretin was reported to cause transient changes in speech and behavior in some children , overall it produced few clinically meaningful changes when compared to children given placebo injections .
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Intervention_Physical
secretin
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Intervention_Physical
secretin
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Intervention_Physical
secretin
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Intervention_Control
placebo
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Intervention_Physical
secretin
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Intervention_Control
placebo
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Outcome_Mental
Childhood Autism Rating Scales ( CARS )
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Outcome_Physical
changes in GI symptoms
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Outcome_Mental
expressive and/or receptive language function , and improved awareness and social interactions
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Outcome_Adverse-effects
adverse effects
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Outcome_Mental
transient changes in speech and behavior
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Participant_Sample-size
Fifty-six
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Participant_Sample-size
49
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Participant_Condition
boys
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Participant_Sample-size
7
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Participant_Condition
girls
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Participant_Age
mean age = 6.4 years , SD = 2.7
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Participant_Sample-size
Thirty-four
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Participant_Condition
Pervasive Developmental Disorder
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Participant_Sample-size
22
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Participant_Condition
Autistic Disorder
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Participant_Sample-size
Forty-five
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Participant_Condition
drug treatments