Could a pill help people with autism chat more easily? Drugs used to treat high blood pressure 'improve social skills'

  • Taking dose of propranolol improved conversation and non-verbal skills
  • Scientists said those who took the drug maintained better eye contact 
  • Those who took a placebo scored significantly lower in the series of tests
  • Hopes it will one day be used as an effective treatment for the condition 

By Kate Pickles For Mailonline

Published: 10:58 EST, 4 February 2016 | Updated: 18:23 EST, 4 February 2016

A common drug taken for high blood pressure pill can improve the communication skills of people with autism, a study has found. 

One of the most commonly recognised symptoms of autism is problems with social interaction and communication. 

This includes difficulty understanding and being aware of other people's emotions and feelings as well as problems taking part in, or starting, conversations. 

But a new study using propranolol, prescribed under the brand name Inderal, helped to improve the both verbal and non verbal conversational skills.

People with autism who were given the drug propranolol scored significantly higher on social skill tests than those who were given a placebo pill

People with autism who were given the drug propranolol scored significantly higher on social skill tests than those who were given a placebo pill

Researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia gave 20 volunteers either a 40-milligram dose of propranolol or a placebo pill.

After an hour, they had a structured conversation with the participants, scoring their performance on six social skills necessary to maintain a conversation.

These were staying on topic, sharing information, reciprocity or shared conversation, transitions or interruptions, nonverbal communication and maintaining eye contact.

It found the total communication scores were significantly greater when the individual took propranolol compared to the placebo. 

'Though more research is needed to study its effects after more than one dose, these preliminary results show a potential benefit of propranolol to improve the conversational and nonverbal skills of individuals with autism,' associate professor Dr David Beversdorf.

'Next, we hope to study the drug in a large clinical trial to establish the effects of regular doses and determine who would most likely benefit from this medication.

'Additional studies could lead the way for improved treatments for individuals with autism.'

About one in every 100 people are estimated to have autism, with the condition more prevalent in males.

Taking medication, typically prescribed to reduce high blood pressure, improved the verbal an non-verbal communication of those people with autism who took it 

Taking medication, typically prescribed to reduce high blood pressure, improved the verbal an non-verbal communication of those people with autism who took it 

In early infancy, some children with the disorder don't babble or use other vocal sounds.

Older children have problems using non-verbal behaviours to interact with others such as difficulty with eye contact, facial expressions, body language and gestures.

There is no cure but speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, educational support, plus a number of other interventions are available to help children and parents.

Researchers said propranolol was first reported to improve the language and sociability skills of individuals with autism in 1987.

But Dr Beversdorf said it was not a randomised, controlled trial, and there has been little follow-up research on this drug in relation to autism.

'While its intended use is to treat high blood pressure, propranolol has been used off-label to treat performance anxiety for several years,' he said

'However, this is the first study to show that a single dose of propranolol can improve the conversational reciprocity skills of individuals with autism.' 

The study was published in Psychopharmacology 

 

 

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