The Melatonin Receptor Agonist Ramelteon Effectively Treats Insomnia and Behavioral Symptoms in Autistic Disorder

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), including autistic disorder, frequently suffer from comorbid sleep problems. An altered melatonin rhythm is considered to underlie the impairment in sleep onset and maintenance in ASD. We report three cases with autistic disorder in whom nocturnal sympt...

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Main Authors: Kentaro Kawabe, Fumie Horiuchi, Yasunori Oka, Shu-ichi Ueno
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2014-01-01
Series:Case Reports in Psychiatry
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/561071
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author Kentaro Kawabe
Fumie Horiuchi
Yasunori Oka
Shu-ichi Ueno
author_facet Kentaro Kawabe
Fumie Horiuchi
Yasunori Oka
Shu-ichi Ueno
author_sort Kentaro Kawabe
collection DOAJ
description Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), including autistic disorder, frequently suffer from comorbid sleep problems. An altered melatonin rhythm is considered to underlie the impairment in sleep onset and maintenance in ASD. We report three cases with autistic disorder in whom nocturnal symptoms improved with ramelteon, a selective melatonin receptor agonist. Insomnia and behavior, assessed using the Clinical Global Impression-Improvement Scale, improved in two cases with 2 mg ramelteon and in the third case with 8 mg ramelteon. Our findings demonstrate that ramelteon is effective not only for insomnia, but for behavioral problems as well, in patients with autistic disorder.
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series Case Reports in Psychiatry
spelling doaj-art-e5db1e30a58a4f0c8bfd7068648ee0652025-08-20T02:21:03ZengWileyCase Reports in Psychiatry2090-682X2090-68382014-01-01201410.1155/2014/561071561071The Melatonin Receptor Agonist Ramelteon Effectively Treats Insomnia and Behavioral Symptoms in Autistic DisorderKentaro Kawabe0Fumie Horiuchi1Yasunori Oka2Shu-ichi Ueno3Department of Neuropsychiatry, Neuroscience, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Shitsukawa, Toon, Ehime 791-0295, JapanDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Neuroscience, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Shitsukawa, Toon, Ehime 791-0295, JapanCenter for Sleep Medicine, Ehime University Hospital, Shitsukawa, Toon, Ehime 791-0295, JapanDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Neuroscience, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Shitsukawa, Toon, Ehime 791-0295, JapanChildren with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), including autistic disorder, frequently suffer from comorbid sleep problems. An altered melatonin rhythm is considered to underlie the impairment in sleep onset and maintenance in ASD. We report three cases with autistic disorder in whom nocturnal symptoms improved with ramelteon, a selective melatonin receptor agonist. Insomnia and behavior, assessed using the Clinical Global Impression-Improvement Scale, improved in two cases with 2 mg ramelteon and in the third case with 8 mg ramelteon. Our findings demonstrate that ramelteon is effective not only for insomnia, but for behavioral problems as well, in patients with autistic disorder.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/561071
spellingShingle Kentaro Kawabe
Fumie Horiuchi
Yasunori Oka
Shu-ichi Ueno
The Melatonin Receptor Agonist Ramelteon Effectively Treats Insomnia and Behavioral Symptoms in Autistic Disorder
Case Reports in Psychiatry
title The Melatonin Receptor Agonist Ramelteon Effectively Treats Insomnia and Behavioral Symptoms in Autistic Disorder
title_full The Melatonin Receptor Agonist Ramelteon Effectively Treats Insomnia and Behavioral Symptoms in Autistic Disorder
title_fullStr The Melatonin Receptor Agonist Ramelteon Effectively Treats Insomnia and Behavioral Symptoms in Autistic Disorder
title_full_unstemmed The Melatonin Receptor Agonist Ramelteon Effectively Treats Insomnia and Behavioral Symptoms in Autistic Disorder
title_short The Melatonin Receptor Agonist Ramelteon Effectively Treats Insomnia and Behavioral Symptoms in Autistic Disorder
title_sort melatonin receptor agonist ramelteon effectively treats insomnia and behavioral symptoms in autistic disorder
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/561071
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