ReviewBJPsych open2022
Randomised controlled trials of mood stabilisers for people with autism spectrum disorder: systematic review and meta-analysis.
Review in BJPsych open, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 21 citations in OpenAlex.
- Informed consent and contraception when prescribing valproate to individuals of childbearing potential: a quality improvement project.Archives of women's mental health · 2026Article
- Examination of Psychotropic Medication Use Following Outpatient Behavioral Assessment and Treatment.Brain sciences · 2025Article
- Available Treatments for Autism Spectrum Disorder: From Old Strategies to New Options.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors for autistic spectrum disorders.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2023Review
- Mediators of Placebo Response to Cannabinoid Treatment in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of clinical medicine · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDespite the widespread use of psychotropic medications in people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), there is limited evidence to suggest that psychotropic medications including mood stabilisers are effective in individuals with ASD.
aimsTo carry out a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that assessed the effectiveness of mood stabilisers in people with ASD.
methodWe searched the following databases: Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, ERIC, DARE, and ClinicalTrials.gov. In addition, we hand-searched 12 relevant journals. We used the Cochrane Risk of Bias and Jadad scores to assess the quality of included RCTs. We carried out a meta-analysis using a random-effects model.
resultsWe included eight RCTs (four on valproate, two on levetiracetam, and one each on lamotrigine and topiramate) that included a total of 310 people with ASD, primarily children. Outcomes were based on core and associated ASD symptoms including irritability and aggression but not bipolar disorder. Only two small studies (25%) from the same group showed definite superiority over placebo and one over psychoeducation alone. Meta-analysis of pooled data on the Aberrant Behaviour Checklist-irritability, Clinical Global Impression Scale-improvement, and Overt Aggression Scale (OAS)/OAS-modified did not show any significant inter-group difference. The rates of adverse effects did not show any significant inter-group difference.
conclusionsGiven the methodological flaws in the included studies and the contradictory findings, it is difficult to draw any definitive conclusion about the effectiveness of mood stabilisers to treat either ASD core symptoms or associated behaviours. Robust large-scale RCTs are needed in the future to address this issue.PROSPERO registration: CRD42021255467 on 18 May 2021.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.