L. Eugene Arnold, MEd, MD, Interim Director
The Nisonger Center was founded in 1966 as an interdisciplinary program of The Ohio State University. The United States Administration on Developmental Disabilities has designated it a “University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities” – part of a network of 67 University Centers of Excellence. The Nisonger Center works with communities to value and support the meaningful participation of people with disabilities of all ages through education,service and research. The Center helps organizations, families and service providers include people with disabilities in education, health, employment and community settings.
Ongoing Research Programs
Research Accomplishments of 2007
-
“Research with Children Having Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) and Severely Irritable Behavior” – Recently Ohio State’s Research Unit on Pediatric Psychopharmacology completed two studies that assessed adjunctive behavior therapy for managing irritable behavior in children with ASDs. These studies were done in collaboration with the National Institute of Mental Health’s (NIMH) Research Units on Pediatric Psychopharmacology (RUPP) Autism Network.
-
The first of these, a feasibility study of 17 children with ASDs and their families, determined that parents could tolerate the rigors of six months of training in parent-management principles (16 behavior-therapy sessions). Study data indicated excellent parental attendance, high parental adherence to the training principles, and high parental satisfaction with the program. In addition, the children showed significant growth in adaptive behavior and significant reductions on scales measuring noncompliance, irritability and hyperactivity.
-
The RUPP Autism Network followed the feasibility study with a study of atypical antipsychotics used alone as compared with atypical antipsychotics plus adjunctive parent training. Data collected on 124 children and their families who were tested at Ohio State and two other research sites are being analyzed to determine what effects adjunctive behavior therapy had on (a) adaptive behavior, (b) disruptive and noncompliant behavior of the children, and (c) stress levels of the parents. Investigators for both projects included: Michael Aman, PhD; L. Eugene Arnold, MD, MEd; Eric Butter, PhD; Luc Lecavalier, PhD; James Mulick, PhD; and Yaser Ramadan, MD.
-
Publication of “The Nisonger Child Behavior Rating Form”– The original Nisonger Child Behavior Rating Form (NCBRF) was an instrument for assessing problem behavior in children with developmental disabilities, and it was used as the primary outcome measure in a series of international studies to determine whether Risperidone would reduce disruptive behavior disorders in children with intellectual disabilities. Because the scale was highly effective in showing therapeutic effects of the study medicine, scientists recently developed a parallel version of the scale, called the NCBRFTIQ, for assessing children with typical IQs. The psychometric study reporting the development of the NCBRFTIQ will be published in the journal International Clinical Psychopharmacology; in addition, the NCBRFTIQ will be the primary outcome measure for a newly funded NIMH study led by Michael Aman, PhD, that will involve treatment of typically developing children with severe physical aggression.
-
“Zinc for Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)” – In December 2007, investigators completed an NIMH-funded pilot trial of zinc for ADHD. Led by L. Eugene Arnold, MEd, MD, this double-blind trial randomly assigned 52 children of ages 6-14 to either zinc glycine supplement or to matched placebo and compared the effects alone (for two months) and then in combination (for five weeks) with amphetamine, a standard medication approved by the FDA for ADHD. Final data are being analyzed, but an earlier interim analysis requested by the NIMH suggested an effect at school as rated by teachers, but not at home as rated by parents.
-
“Comprehensive Motion Apparatus for ADHD” – A pilot trial of a comprehensive motion apparatus to provide vestibular stimulation for ADHD was accepted for publication in the Journal of Attention Disorders. This randomized, controlled trial – led by L. Eugene Arnold, MEd, MD, and David Clark, PhD – involved 53 children of ages 6-12 with ADHD. When combined vestibular and auditory stimulation of the eighth nerve was compared single-blind to a control treatment of auditory stimulation alone, significant improvements were observed in both groups, but not a significant difference between the two.
-
“MTA 36-Month Outcomes” – The NIMH Multimodal Treatment Study of ADHD (the MTA), for which L. Eugene Arnold, MEd, MD, chairs the steering committee, published a special section in the August 2007 Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Four articles detailed follow-up outcomes at 36 months of 579 children originally randomized to 14 months of four different treatment strategies comparing systematic medication management, intensive multicomponent behavioral treatment, the combination, and routine community care. By 36 months, the differing 14-month effects had merged; all groups showed similar significant improvement from baseline, but not to the level of a local normative comparison group (classmates).
-
The Aspirations Group – Directed by Thomas Fish, PhD, this group published a study on social and vocational skills in a support group for adolescents and young adults with autistic disorder, Asperger’s disorder or pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified. Data from structured observations of an eight-week social and vocational skills support group for participants with autism spectrum disorders were examined for frequency of contributions of group members over the course of the program; in addition, selfreport measures, including appraisal of peer relations and empathy, were completed before and after the Aspirations program. The results from these measures support the efficacy of the program and provide insight into implementing a successful model for this population
Ohio State's Nisonger Center
McCampbell Hall 1581 Dodd Drive Columbus, OH 43210 (614) 688-8544
|
|