Efficacy and Safety of Alpha-2 Agonists in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review

BackgroundThis analysis is a systematic literature review assessing efficacy and adverse effects of three alpha-2 agonists for the symptomatic management of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).MethodsThe present investigation involved an extensive systematic search for eligible studies in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar. Nine studies, collectively incorporating 226 patients, were assessed.ResultsThe results demonstrated promising indications for use of alpha-2 agonists in the symptomatic management of autism spectrum disorders, including improvement of hyperactivity, impulsivity, attention deficit symptoms, irritability, and stereotypies in many of the participants studied.ConclusionThe present investigation encourages physicians to consider treatment outcomes of clonidine, guanfacine, and lofexidine to determine the most effective management of ASD-related symptoms and to minimize adverse effects. However, our review cannot provide definitive treatment protocols related to various study limitations.