Autism, Autistic Disorder
Conditions
Keywords
Alternative Medicine (AM), Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tongue Acupuncture, Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Autism, Children
Brief summary
We aim to study the efficacy of Acupuncture versus sham acupuncture in children with ASD.
Detailed description
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) philosophy, the approach to Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a holistic one. The objective is to study the efficacy of a short intensive course of Acupuncture versus sham acupuncture in improving the overall functional status of children with autism. A single-blind randomized control trial was conducted in 50 children. These children were randomly assigned to Treatment group with Tongue Acupuncture (40 sessions over 8 weeks) or Control group (Sham Tongue Acupuncture to non-acupoints in the tongue).
Interventions
PROCEDURETongue Acupuncture (Procedure)
Sponsors
The University of Hong Kong
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
3 Years to 11 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Subjects with diagnosis of autism made according to the criteria of the 4th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) and Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised and with a score for Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) greater than 30.
Exclusion criteria
* Children with associated neurological disorders and epilepsy.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Griffiths Mental Developmental Scale (GMDS) was conducted before (at Week 0) and after (at Week 9) acupuncture. | — |
| Ritvo-Freeman Real Life Scale (RFRLS) was conducted before (at Week 0) and after (at Week 9) acupuncture. | — |
| Reynell Language Developmental Scale (RLDS) was conducted before (at Week 0) and after (at Week 9) acupuncture. | — |
| Symbolic Play Test (SPT) was conducted before (at Week 0) and after (at Week 9) acupuncture. | — |
| Functional Independence Measure for children (WeeFIM) was conducted before (at Week 0) and after (at Week 9) acupuncture. | — |
Countries
Hong Kong
Outcome results
None listed