By Randy Dotinga HealthDay Reporter Latest Mental Health News

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 19 (HealthDay News) -- In a preliminary study, scientists are reporting that an experimental pill designed to treat fragile X syndrome -- a genetic condition tied to intellectual impairment, or "mental retardation," and some cases of autism -- may help patients develop better social skills.

The scientists are continuing to study the medication and have launched research into whether it may also help social withdrawal in those with autism. However, it's still not clear if the drug works, nor do its developers know how much it might cost. It's also not known whether other medications in development might do a better job, either in conjunction with the new drug or instead of it.

Still, the results so far are promising, and the medication "could be an important model for developing treatments for autism," said Dr. Michael Tranfaglia, medical director of the FRAXA Research Foundation, a nonprofit organization seeking better treatments for fragile X syndrome.

Fragile X syndrome is caused by the loss of the gene for fragile X mental retardation protein. The condition affects an estimated 100,000 people in the United States, potentially leading to mental retardation, epilepsy, autism and abnormal body growth. There is no cure for fragile X syndrome.

Essentially, the lack of the gene weakens the wiring of the brain, said Stephen Warren, chairman of human genetics at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. People with the condition usually must live in group homes, although they're often able to work, he added.

Several studies have been launched into the drug -- known as arbaclofen -- as a treatment for fragile X syndrome and related autism-type conditions. The new study was funded by Seaside Therapeutics, the drug's manufacturer, and done jointly by scientists at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and the MIND Institute at the University of California, Davis. It was the second of three phases of research required for drugs before they can be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

In the study, Dr. Elizabeth Berry-Kravis, a professor of pediatrics, neurological sciences and biochemistry at Rush, and colleagues tested the drug over a 15-month period by giving either the drug or an inactive placebo to 63 people between the ages of 6 and 39 who have fragile X syndrome in a six-week treatment. Of those who participated, 55 were boys or men; the condition is more common in males.

Those who took the drug were better able to deal with other people on a social level, said Warren, who didn't work on the new research but has consulted for Seaside Therapeutics. "Their social anxiety was diminished. That's the real problem with these kids. They get real anxious in novel situations, and it's very difficult consequently for families to go out and have a hamburger at a restaurant."

The amount of improvement isn't easily understood on a layperson level. But Dr. Paul Wang, a vice president with Seaside Therapeutics, said families told researchers that children who took the drug were more interested in talking to, and playing with, others instead of staying in their room, for example.

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Drug Shows Promise Against Fragile X Syndrome, Possibly Autism

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Editor's note: A little over a decade ago, California officials raised an alarm about the growing number of children being diagnosed with autism. The Star examined the struggles of several Ventura County children who were part of that surge in 2000. In this series, we look at what has happened to them as they've come of age.

More on mobile: 2000: Special report - Children in Disorder

Q: What percentage of autistic adults work?

A: About 55 percent of young adults with autism spectrum disorders had held paid employment in the first six years after high school, according to a study published in May. In a review of studies from the 1980s through the mid-2000s, about 25 percent of autistic adults were employed, autism authority Patricia Howlin reported. The studies covered a period when autism was more strictly defined than it is now.

Q: What kinds of jobs do they hold?

A: Some held responsible positions that paid well, but most were menial jobs, such as kitchen hands, unskilled factory workers or backroom supermarket staff, Howlin wrote. In the Southern California area today, autistic adults work in fast-food restaurants, grocery stores, movie theaters and offices, employment specialists said. Some run their own businesses. Media production and computer jobs could be a growth area. They can receive preference for federal jobs under the government's hiring policies for people with severe disabilities. Some are noted for their success, including Temple Grandin, a professor whose life inspired a television movie. Historically, many have worked in sheltered workshops or have done piece work, earning less than minimum wage.

Q: What are the obstacles?

A: Communication problems and social skills are blamed for unsuccessful interviews and problems on the job. People with autism may need routine, have difficulty making eye contact and misunderstand expressions or facial cues, such as a wink or nod. Employers fear they will have outbursts, although not all do. Behavioral interventions have reduced such problems, educators say. Job coaches boost chances of success, as does finding the right match between job and employee.

Q: What's being done about it?

A: Specialists at UC Santa Barbara's Koegel Autism Center are tackling the issues from a research and counseling standpoint. They're working with people who are having trouble preparing for careers because of social issues and studying procedures to ease the passage to adulthood.

See the rest here:
Working and autism

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