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Biomedical subjects

Thomas Owley

Publications and source records attributed to Thomas Owley.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

A prospective, open-label trial of memantine in the treatment of cognitive, behavioral, and memory dysfunction in pervasive developmental disorders.

BACKGROUND: This pilot study examined the effectiveness of memantine hydrochloride in improving cognitive functioning and behavioral symptoms in children with pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs). METHOD: Subjects aged 3-12 years inclusive were enrolled in this 8-week, open-label study. Expressive and receptive language, nonverbal IQ, and nonverbal memory measures were administered at baseline and after 8 weeks of treatment with 0.4 mg/kg of memantine hydrochloride. Throughout the study, the Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC) was sent in weekly by parents as a measure of behavioral change. RESULTS: Twelve of 14 subjects completed the study. Significant improvement from baseline was noted on the memory test (Children's Memory Scale Dot Learning Subtest). There were no significant differences from baseline on measures of expressive or receptive language or nonverbal IQ. There were significant improvements on a number of ABC subscales, including hyperactivity, lethargy, and irritability. There were no overall significant statistical differences from baseline on the Clinical Global Improvement-Severity (CGI-S) scale. On the Clinical Global Improvement-Improvement (CGI-I), 4 of 14 subjects showed minimal improvement, and none was deemed "much-improved" or "very much improved." CONCLUSIONS: This small, prospective, open-label study suggests that memantine may be useful in the treatment of memory functioning and some behavioral symptoms in PDDs. The investigators did not see the same degree of change as endorsed by caretakers. Controlled studies are needed to substantiate and clarify these preliminary findings.

Child↗
PubMed2005

An open-label trial of escitalopram in pervasive developmental disorders.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of escitalopram in the treatment of pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs). METHOD: This 10-week study had a forced titration, open-label design. Twenty-eight subjects (mean age 125.1 +/- 33.5 months) with a PDD received escitalopram at a dose that increased weekly to a maximum dose of 20 mg as tolerated. The Aberrant Behavior Checklist-Community Version (ABC-CV) and the Clinical Global Impression scale (CGI) were used to assess outcome. RESULTS: There was significant improvement in ABC-CV Irritability Subscale Scores (baseline mean 20.5 +/- 5.9 to final mean 10.9 +/- 7.2; p < or = .001) and in the other ABC-CV Subscales. Improvement on Clinical Global Improvement Scale severity rating was also significant (baseline mean 5.2 +/- 1.0 to final mean 4.6 +/- 1.2; p < or = .001). Twenty-five percent of the subjects responded at a dose less than 10 mg and did not tolerate the 10-mg dose, and an additional 36% responded at a dose greater than or equal to 10 mg. Final dose was unrelated to weight and only weakly correlated with age. CONCLUSIONS: This open-label study found escitalopram to be useful in treating some difficulties common in PDDs. A wide variability in dose was found that could not be accounted for by weight and only partially by age. The study provides information useful for the design of double-blind, placebo-controlled studies of escitalopram in PDDs.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Impact of recent findings on study design of future autism clinical trials.

There are specific challenges to studying the design of pharmacologic trials in child/adolescent and adult autism, such as subject stratification and parallel versus crossover designs. This article describes how optimal study design is influenced by subject selection and outcome measures chosen. Lessons learned in study design from the Research Units on Pediatric Psychopharmacology Autism Network trial with risperidone, Seaver Center trials with fluoxetine and valproate, Dartmouth trials with amantadine, and National Institutes of Health secretin trials are highlighted. The Internet System for Assessing Autistic Children system for managing multicenter clinical trials in autism and statistical issues in autism research are also described.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

The pharmacological treatment of autistic spectrum disorders.

What role do medications play in the overall treatment of autistic spectrum disorders? In this review, the decision-making process involving identifying symptoms, initiating a pharmacological intervention, and monitoring that process is discussed. A review of the literature with an emphasis on controlled trials in autistic spectrum disorders is also undertaken.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2002

Utility of the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale in research and clinical populations.

The Gilliam Autism Rating Scale (GARS) was developed as a relatively easy, inexpensive aid in the surveillance and diagnosis of autism. This study examined the validity of the GARS when used with a sample of 119 children with strict DSM-IV diagnoses of autism, ascertained from both clinical and research settings. The GARS consistently underestimated the likelihood that autistic children in this sample would be classified as having autism. The sample mean for the Autism Quotient, a hypothesized index of the likelihood of having autism, was 90.10, significantly below the reference mean of 100. Diagnostic classification according to criteria specified by the GARS resulted in a sensitivity of only .48. Limitations of rating scales in general and of the GARS specifically are discussed. It is recommended that clinicians and researchers using or considering using the GARS for autism diagnosis or ratings of autism severity recognize the need for further research regarding its use.

Autistic Disorder↗
PubMed2002

Case series: Adderall augmentation of serotonin reuptake inhibitors in childhood-onset obsessive compulsive disorder.

Current pharmacological treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder involves the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). However, a large proportion of patients does not respond fully to these medications despite receiving optimal doses and concomitant cognitive-behavioral therapy. Finding efficacious augmentation strategies has become an important goal of researchers and clinicians working with this population. In this case series, we describe four patients with childhood-onset obsessive compulsive disorder, and with partial or no response to SSRI treatment, who subsequently had a reduction of their symptoms with Adderall augmentation.

Adult↗