NCT00273650

Efficacy Study of Subcutaneous Methyl-B12 in Children With Autism

Double-Blind Placebo Controlled, Cross-over Trial of Subcutaneous B12 on Behavioral and Metabolic Measures in Children With Autism.

• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 2 / Phase 3
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 30 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of California, San Francisco · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 3 Years – 8 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

We will be testing a specific dietary supplement, methylcobalamin (vitamin B12). Follow-up assessments with our clinical team will take place over the 12-week study period so that we can record any changes in development. The main goal of this study is to determine if subcutaneous injections of vitamin B12 given every three days can positively affect behavior and development in children with autism. Hypothesis: Methylcobalamin injections will improve measures of executive function, speech, and socialization in children with autism, and will be associated with metabolic improvement.

Detailed description

Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that is thought to involve an interaction between multiple and variable susceptibility genes (Keller \& Persico, 2003), epigenetic effects (Beaudet, 2002), and environmental factors (London, 2000). The increase in the prevalence of autistic spectrum disorders from 4-5/10,000 in the 1980s to 30-60/10,000 in the last decade has raised great concern (Bertrand et al., 2001; DeStefano et al., 2004; Steinhausen et al., 1986; Yeargin-Allsopp et al., 2003). Research into potential therapeutic interventions designed to ameliorate the metabolic and clinical symptoms of autism is urgently needed to reduce the enormous public health burden of this disorder and to improve the quality of life for affected children and their families. Nutritional supplementation through subcutaneous injections of methyl B12 is a current treatment for children with autism that has anecdotal reports of remarkable clinical improvements and few side effects. However there are no published studies to support its clinical benefit. Comparison: Injections of methylcobalamin compared to injections of sterile saline over a six week period.

Conditions

• Autistic Disorder

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	methylcobalamin	Methylcobalamin (25,000μg/ml), at a dosage of 64.5μg/kg, or saline placebo administered subcutaneously, once every three days for six weeks. At six weeks, subjects cross over to the other treatment given every three days for another six weeks. Post 12 weeks, treatment with open label methylcobalamin will continue once every three days, for six months.
OTHER	saline placebo	Methylcobalamin (25,000μg/ml), at a dosage of 64.5μg/kg, or saline placebo administered subcutaneously, once every three days for six weeks. At six weeks, subjects cross over to the other treatment given every three days for another six weeks. Post 12 weeks, treatment with open label methylcobalamin will continue once every three days, for six months.

Timeline

• Start date: 2005-07-01
• Primary completion: 2009-06-01
• Completion: 2009-08-01
• First posted: 2006-01-09
• Last updated: 2019-10-09

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States