Lack of Efficacy of Citalopram in Children with Autism Spectrum
Disorders and High Levels of Repetitive Behaviors King, B.H.,
Hollander, E., Sikick, L., McCracken, J.T., Scahill, L.,
Bregman, J.D., Donnelly, C.L., Anagnostou, E., Dukes, K. ,
Sullivan, L., Hirtz, D., Wagner, A., Ritz, L. (2009). Lack of
efficacy of citalopram in children with autism spectrum
disorders and high levels of repetitive behaviors. Archives of
General Psychiatry, 66(6), 583-590. Reviewed by Amy Hansford, MA
Why study this topic? Medication to treat the symptoms of autism
spectrum disorders has become increasingly frequent. One
commonly prescribed class of medications are the selective
serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which have been used in
an effort to reduce repetitive behaviors. However, little
research is available on the effectiveness of this treatment.
What did the researchers do? The researchers in this study
conducted a randomized clinical trial at six centers in the
United States to test the effectiveness of the SSRI c