Diuretic a Promising Treatment for Autism
The loop diuretic bumetanide appears to improve some of the core behavioral symptoms of autism by decreasing levels of the neurotransmitters gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), new research suggests.
Investigators found young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) treated with the diuretic for 3 months scored better on a behavior scale that measures emotional response as well as verbal and nonverbal communication compared with children taking a placebo.
"This study is important and exciting because it means that there is a drug that can improve social learning and reduce ASD symptoms during the time when the brains of these children are still developing," study investigator Barbara Sahakian, DSc, FMedSci, professor of clinical neuropsychology, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, said in a news release.
The study was published online January 27 in Translational Psychiatry.
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