A blood pressure drug could help to improve conversation skills in people with autism, according to a study.
The drug propranolol, prescribed under the name Inderal, may improve life for those on the spectrum, say scientists at the University of Missouri.
David Beversdorf: “We can clearly say that propranolol has the potential to benefit language and may help people with autism function appropriately in social situations”
The team studied 20 volunteers and gave them either a single 40mg dose of propranolol or a placebo.
Within one hour structured chats with the patients were held and they were scored on the six social skills deemed necessary to hold a conversation.
This included a topic, sharing information, non-verbal communication, shared conversation, maintaining eye contact and transitions and interruptions.
When the two groups were compared it was found that those on the propranolol scored significantly higher than those on the placebo. The results were consistently better across every measure of conversation skills.
Propranolol is often prescribed to treat anxiety, irregular heartbeats or stage fright. A possible use for the drug in treating symptoms of autism was first proposed in 1987, when researchers realised that it could improve language abilities.
It has been shown to help people with autism increase word fluency, which requires an understanding of the definition of words and connectivity between different brain regions. However, in the past there have been no controlled trials and very little research.
David Beversdorf, an associate professor at the University of Missouri, said that more research is needed to study what happens when the drug is administered repeatedly.
Potential to improve non-verbal as well as conversation skills
He said: “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 non-verbal skills of individuals with autism.
“We can clearly say that propranolol has the potential to benefit language and may help people with autism function appropriately in social situations, including making eye contact with others.”
According to Beversdorf, the university’s research team is hoping for a large clinical trial to establish the effects of a regular dose and determine who is most likely to benefit.
The study is entitled ‘Effects of propranolol on conversational reciprocity in autism spectrum disorder: a pilot, double-blind, single-dose psychopharmacological challenge study’. It was published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology.
Published: 7 February 2016
