Memantine, an Alzheimer's drug, may help kids with autism
A new study from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard found that memantine, a drug usually used for Alzheimer's, could help certain kids with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) improve their social skills.
Researchers gave 33 kids aged 8-17 either memantine or a placebo every day for 12 weeks and tracked changes in how they interacted.
Researchers say earlier studies didn't show much change
The team discovered that kids with higher levels of glutamate—a brain chemical linked to social behavior—in a specific brain region (the pgACC) saw real improvements in communication and social interaction after taking memantine.
About half the group had high glutamate levels, and those individuals saw the most improvement, which might explain why earlier studies didn't show much change.
The researchers say bigger studies are needed to see if memantine could really make a difference for more people with ASD.