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Fenfluramine treatment of autism: Relationship of treatment response to blood levels of fenfluramine and norfenfluramine

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Abstract

Nine children meeting DSM-III criteria for infantile autism were treated with fenfluramine hydrochloride or inactive placebo in a double- blind crossover trial that followed the protocol for the fenfluramine multicenter study. Parents of the two children who had had the highest fenfluramine blood levels wished to have their children continue on fenfluramine, although the improvement they saw could not be demonstrated on the various rating instruments employed. The results of the study, while providing minimal support in themselves for the effectiveness of fenfluramine, do raise the possibility that fenfluramine blood levels might be related to treatment response.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, 500 Newton Road, 52242, Iowa City, Iowa

    James H. L. Beeghly M.D., Samuel Kuperman, Paul J. Perry & Luke Y. Tsai

  2. A. H. Robins Company, Richmond, Virginia

    George J. Wright

Authors
  1. James H. L. Beeghly M.D.
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  2. Samuel Kuperman
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  3. Paul J. Perry
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  4. George J. Wright
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  5. Luke Y. Tsai
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Beeghly, J.H.L., Kuperman, S., Perry, P.J. et al. Fenfluramine treatment of autism: Relationship of treatment response to blood levels of fenfluramine and norfenfluramine. J Autism Dev Disord 17, 541–548 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01486969

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01486969

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