Autism Spectrum Disorder
Conditions
Keywords
Autism, ASD, Aspergers, Autism Spectrum Disorder
Brief summary
The febrile hypothesis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) stems from the observation that clinical symptoms improve during fever. This fever induced amelioration of symptoms could be due to one of three possible causes, (1) the direct effect of temperature; (2) a resulting change in the immune inflammatory system function associated with the infection or fever; and/or (3) and increase in the functionality of a previously dysfunctional Locus Coeruleus-Noradrenerigic (LC-NA) system. Little has been done to explore the potential direct effect an increased body temperature may have on autism symptomology. Parental reports have demonstrated that during febrile episodes children with ASD have improved social cognition and language skills, and decreased disruptive behaviors. In order to further explore the direct temperature effect, further investigation is needed, which the investigators propose below. The investigators propose to complete a one year double blind crossover study with 15 children with ASD between the ages of 5 and 17 years old. Five children with ASD will complete a control protocol prior to beginning the full protocol with 10 additional ASD children. This will allow for any needed amendment of protocol parameters prior to completion of the full protocol.
Interventions
OTHERHydroworx Pool at 98 degrees Fahrenheit
OTHERHydroworx Pool at 102 degrees Fahrenheit
Sponsors
Simons Foundation
Montefiore Medical Center
Study design
Observational model
CASE_CONTROL
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
5 Years to 17 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
ASD Controls Inclusion Criteria * Aged 5 to 17 * Meets ASD criteria on the DSM-IV TR that is supported by the ADOS or the ADI-R ASD Control
Exclusion criteria
* Children who are currently ill will not begin treatment until they are well. * Females who are pregnant. * Children who have abnormally high blood pressure prior to starting study treatment. * Children with a BMI greater than 30.0 or below 18.5 * Children with history of seizures or cardiovascular problems ASD Case Inclusion Criteria * Meets ASD criteria on the DSM-IV TR that is supported by the ADOS or the ADI-R * Aged 5 to 17 * Have a past history of improvement during febrile episodes ASD Case
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Aberrant Behavior Checklist | Screening, Day One and Day Two |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Social Responsiveness Scale | Screening, Day One, Day Two |
| Clinical Global Impression Scale - Improvement | Day One, Day Two |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed