45% of ASD individuals have been found to have increased blood serotonin levels. It has been hypothesized that increased activity of serotonin in the developing brain may facilitate the onset of ASD, with an association found in six out of eight studies between the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) by the pregnant mother and the development of ASD in the child exposed to SSRI in the antenatal environment. The study could not definitively conclude SSRIs caused the increased risk for ASD due to the biases found in those studies, and the authors called for more definitive, better conducted studies. Confounding by indication has since then been shown to be likely. However, it is also hypothesized that SSRIs may help reduce symptoms of ASD and even positively affect brain development in some ASD patients. Diagnosis
Autism Spectrum Disorder a clinical diagnosis that is typically made by a physician based off reported and directly observed behavior in the affected individual. According to the updated diagnostic criteria in the DSM-5-TR, in order to receive a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder, one must present with “persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction” and “restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities.” These behaviors must begin in early childhood and affect one’s ability to perform everyday tasks. Furthermore, the symptoms must not be fully explainable by intellectual developmental disorder or global developmental delay. There are several factors that make Autism Spectrum Disorder difficult to diagnose.
Tiotixene, or thiothixene, sold under the brand name Navane among others, is a typical antipsychotic of the thioxanthene class which is related to chlorprothixene and is used in the treatment of psychoses like schizophrenia and bipolar mania. It was introduced in the United States in 1967 by Pfizer.Tiotixene is also related to thioproperazine and pipotiazine, members of the phenothiazine class. Pharmacology
Pharmacodynamics
Tiotixene acts primarily as a highly potent antagonist of the dopamine D2 and D3 receptors (subnanomolar affinity). It is also an antagonist of the histamine H1, α1-adrenergic, and serotonin 5-HT7 receptors (low nanomolar affinity), as well as of various other receptors to a much lesser extent (lower affinity). It does not have any anticholinergic activity. Antagonism of the D2 receptor is thought to be responsible for the antipsychotic effects of tiotixene. History
Tiotixene was introduced in 1967. Chemistry
Tiotixene is a member of the thioxanthene class of antipsychotics. Analogues include chlorprothixene, clopenthixol, flupentixol, and zuclopenthixol. == References ==