A Controlled Study of Olanzapine in Children With Autism
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2005-09-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
This is a 12-week study which investigates the use of olanzapine to decrease disruptive
behaviors sometimes associated with Autism in children, aged 3 to 12 years old. The first six
weeks of the study are double-blind and placebo controlled, meaning that patients receive
either placebo or olanzapine, and that neither the researchers nor the patients know whether
or not they are receiving placebo or olanzapine. In the second six weeks all of the patients
receive olanzapine. The purpose in using placebo is that it is otherwise impossible to know
how effective the drug is or whether or not the drug causes side effects. Patients treated
with placebo can have improvement and can have side effects. In the study patients receive a
psychiatric evaluation, physical examination, laboratory tests, and study medication
(olanzapine or placebo), free of charge.