Recruiting PHASE2 Autism

New treatment option for Autism

Official title Trial of Zolpidem for Sleep in Children With Autism

ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT05540574

What this study is testing

What is Zolpidem?

Zolpidem is an investigational medicine, given as a pill taken by mouth, being studied as a potential treatment for autism.

Also referred to as Ambien.

Plain-language explanation of the investigational treatment - it is being studied and is not an approved or proven therapy. The study team can confirm the details.

What it's testing
The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of zolpidem on sleep in children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Zolpidem is a nonbenzodiazepine GABAa receptor agonist drug that acts as a hypnotic.
  • Phase 2: a mid-size study of how well it works
  • You might receive a placebo (an inactive treatment) instead of the study drug, decided by chance. You may not know which one you got.

A plain-language read of the study's public ClinicalTrials.gov listing. The study team confirms the details.

Who can take part

Ages 8 to 17

You may be able to join if

  • Participants will meet the following
  • Outpatients between 8 and 17 years of age with only 12- 17 years of age at time of consent during year 1
  • Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 5th edition (DSM-5) criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) on the basis of clinical evaluation, confirmed...
  • Males and females
  • Availability of polysomnography (PSG) and/or actigraphy data

You likely can't join if

  • Participants will be excluded if one or more of the following is met
  • active suicidal ideation or DSM-5 diagnosis of severe depression, substance use disorder, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or psychotic...
  • unstable medical problems: migraine, asthma, seizure disorder, significant physical illness (e.g., anaphylaxis, serious liver, renal, or cardiac...
  • evidence of a metabolic, or infectious etiology for the participant's autism on the basis of medical history, neurologic history, and available tests...
  • pregnant or sexually active females not using a reliable method of contraception (urinary tests for pregnancy will be employed in this study)
  • individuals taking benzodiazepines, antiepileptic medications when prescribed for seizure disorder/epilepsy, antidepressants, melatonin and...
See the full eligibility criteria
Who can join
  • Participants will meet the following
  • Outpatients between 8 and 17 years of age with only 12- 17 years of age at time of consent during year 1
  • Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 5th edition (DSM-5) criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) on the basis of clinical evaluation, confirmed with the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) and the Autism...
  • Males and females
  • Availability of polysomnography (PSG) and/or actigraphy data
  • Sleep disturbances as assessed using Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) with a score of 41 or higher and sleep efficiency of 85% or less and/or total sleep time less than 7 hours and/or wake after sleep onset...
  • care provider who can reliably bring participant to clinic visits, provide trustworthy ratings, and interacts with participant on a regular basis
  • stable medications for at least 2 weeks, with the exception of Prozac which is required to be stable for at least 4 weeks
  • no planned changes in psychosocial and biomedical interventions during the trial
  • willingness to provide additional saliva samples and participate in key study procedures (i.e., safety measurements every visit, PSG at weeks 4 and 8, and wear the actigraphy watch for 2 weeks before the beginning of...
  • requirement of dual protection contraception use in females who are sexually active and are of childbearing potential. Dual use contraceptive methods involve the use of both a hormonal method (oral contraceptives...
What rules you out
  • Participants will be excluded if one or more of the following is met
  • active suicidal ideation or DSM-5 diagnosis of severe depression, substance use disorder, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or psychotic disorder
  • unstable medical problems: migraine, asthma, seizure disorder, significant physical illness (e.g., anaphylaxis, serious liver, renal, or cardiac pathology) and hepatic insufficiency
  • evidence of a metabolic, or infectious etiology for the participant's autism on the basis of medical history, neurologic history, and available tests for inborn errors of metabolism;
  • pregnant or sexually active females not using a reliable method of contraception (urinary tests for pregnancy will be employed in this study)
  • individuals taking benzodiazepines, antiepileptic medications when prescribed for seizure disorder/epilepsy, antidepressants, melatonin and centrally-acting antihistamines
  • history of hypersensitivity to zolpidem
  • history of severe side effects from zolpidem
  • history of adequate trial of zolpidem
  • current use of any medications known to interact with zolpidem such as medications inhibiting CYP3A4 and CYP1A2
  • history of complex sleep-related behaviors
  • individuals using alcohol, marijuana and other substances.

The study team makes the final eligibility decision.

Where it's taking place

  • Stanford, California, United States

Questions & answers

Do participants get paid in this trial?

This listing doesn't specify compensation. Many trials still reimburse travel or offer a stipend, so it's worth asking the study team when you connect.

Is it free to join, and do I need insurance?

Searching and applying through BridgeMD is free. In clinical trials the study-related treatment and visits are generally provided at no cost to you. You usually don't need insurance to take part - confirm specifics with the study team.

How long does this study last?

The listing doesn't state an exact length. The study team walks you through the schedule and number of visits before you decide to enroll.

Who can join this trial?

This study is enrolling all sexes, 8 years to 17 years. The study team makes the final eligibility decision.

Where is this trial taking place?

Study sites include Stanford, California, United States. Enter your location above to see the nearest site and check your eligibility.

Explore other conditions

BridgeMD is an information and trial-matching tool - not medical advice, and not the study sponsor. Details come from ClinicalTrials.gov; the study team decides eligibility.