Background: This analysis is a systematic literature review assessing efficacy and adverse effects of three alpha-2 agonists for the symptomatic management of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Methods: The present investigation involved an extensive systematic search for eligible studies in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar. Nine studies, collectively incorporating 226 patients, were assessed.
Results: The results demonstrated promising indications for use of alpha-2 agonists in the symptomatic management of autism spectrum disorders, including improvement of hyperactivity, impulsivity, attention deficit symptoms, irritability, and stereotypies in many of the participants studied.
Conclusion: The present investigation encourages physicians to consider treatment outcomes of clonidine, guanfacine, and lofexidine to determine the most effective management of ASD-related symptoms and to minimize adverse effects. However, our review cannot provide definitive treatment protocols related to various study limitations.
Keywords: Alpha-2 agonist; Autism spectrum disorder; Clonidine; Guanfacine; Lofexidine; Neurodevelopmental disorder; Pervasive developmental disorder.
© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Healthcare Ltd., part of Springer Nature.