Using Aripiprazole to Benefit People with Autism Spectrum Disorder: a Critical Appraisal

Objectives Aripiprazole (Abilify) is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treating irritability associated with autism in young people and is widely used for that purpose. Our objectives were to summarize the conclusions of other authors who reviewed the effects of aripiprazole in people with autism spectrum disorder, to analyze critically the findings of studies that examined the behavioral effects of aripiprazole in this population, and to draw conclusions concerning what research has revealed and what future research should examine. Methods We examined review and research articles revealed by a search of the PubMed , Scopus , and Web of Science databases. Results Twelve review articles and 14 research articles met our criteria for inclusion. Those articles provided clear evidence that aripiprazole reduces “irritability” as indexed by the Irritability subscale of the Aberrant Behavior Checklist and related measures, but the drug’s behavioral effects have not been examined adequately and the variables that modulate its effects are unknown. The drug sometimes produces serious adverse effects. Conclusion Aripiprazole can be useful in the short-term management of challenging behavior in young people with autism spectrum disorder, but too little is known about the drug’s behavioral effects to maximize its value. Further research, with better measures of behavior and greater attention to potential modulators of drug action, is needed.