Loading...
Bumetanide has been used for decades as a diuretic and antiepilepsy medication. For seizures, it is believed to act by lowering intracellular chloride levels, which switches gamma-aminobutyric acid from excitatory to inhibitory action.
Theorizing that a similar mechanism might be involved in autism, these investigators conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of bumetanide in 60 autistic children (age range, 3–11). Bumetanide at 1 mg/day or placebo was given for 90 days, followed by a 30-day washout and final ratings (i.e., at day 120).
Among the 54 completers (27 in each group), bumetanide compared with placebo was associated with significantly improved scores on a scale for autism symptoms (the main outcome measure) and on a globa…