Table 2 Neurocognitive outcomes from RCTs.

From: Effect of Alzheimer’s disease medications on neurocognitive outcomes in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder and low IQ: a scoping review

Study

Neurocognitive Domain

Assessment

Baseline

Endpoint

Week 0

Week 5

Week 6

Week 10

Week 12

≥24 Weeks

Ctrl

Tx

Ctrl

Tx

p

Ctrl

Tx

p

Ctrl

Tx

p

Ctrl

Tx

p

Ctrl

Tx

p

Chez et al. [59]

Language

EOWPVT

31.9 (31.1)

35.7 (27.8)

   

33.8 (32.9)

43.3 (27.2)

<0.05*a

   

40.9 (38.8)

42.5 (28.5)

<0.05*a

   
  

ROWPVT

33.5 (27.9)

38.8 (23.5)

   

39.8 (27.0)

50.3 (27.0)

<0.05*a

   

87.4 (14.2)

49.7 (34.2)

<0.05*a

   

Handen et al. [61]

Executive Function

TMTb

154.9 (77.8)

123.6 (56.5)

128.7 (50.6)

125.3 (56.1)

      

>0.05

      
  

VF

8.31 (2.73)

6.83 (3.17)

        

>0.05

      
  

DFT

3.44 (2.5)

4.75 (2.79)

5.37 (2.90)

4.50 (2.57)

      

>0.05

      
  

CWIb

93.3 (38.3)

90.5 (25.4)

86.6 (20.4)

92.1 (34.2)

      

>0.05

      
  

STCCc

7.19 (1.87)

6.72 (2.97)

        

>0.05

      
  

STFSd

26.6 (7.6)

25.3 (11.1)

        

>0.05

      
  

TQTb

18.9 (8.9)

24.7 (13.7)

19.2 (5.2)

23.2 (11.8)

      

>0.05

      
  

TTb

12.3 (4.9)

12.1 (4.1)

15.4 (3.7)

14.9 (5.0)

      

>0.05

      
  

WCT

6.1 (3.3)

4.9 (4.9)

3.9 (2.8)

3.5 (3.4)

      

>0.05

      
 

Language

EOWPVT

108.7 (17.0)

104.6 (22.4)

112.7 (17.5)

107.9 (21.4)

    

114.5 (16.1)

109.7 (21.0)

>0.05

      
 

Learning and Memory

CVLT

47.1 (10.3)

40.7 (14.1)

52.6 (9.7)

48.1 (10.8)

    

51.3 (14.7)

50.2 (11.0)

>0.05

      

Gabis et al. [60]

Language

PLS-4: RL /WISC-IV

37.96 (22.27)

32.26 (19.24)

         

2.36 (8.09)

-0.077 (6.4)e

5.89 (9.3)f

3.53 (5.21)

4.54 (5.9)e

1.67 (3.3)f

>0.05

<0.05*

 > 0.05

1.39 (4.02)

0.20 (2.6)e

3.29 (5.3)f

4.94 (3.57)

5.20 (3.8)e

4.50 (3.3)f

<0.01**

 < 0.01**

 > 0.05

  

PLS-4: EL /WISC-IV

31.73 (17.24)

26.22 (17.59)

         

4.32 (7.12)

4.24 (10.82)

>0.05

4.32 (7.12)

4.24 (10.82)

>0.05

  

PLS-4: GL /WISC-IV

44.35 (33.89)

46.55 (38.75)

         

4.28 (6.62)

4.39 (13.12)

>0.05

3.80 (6.09)

6.38 (11.18)

>0.05

 

General Cognitive Ability

K-BIT-2

58.32 (23.13)g;

13.82 (11.16)h

61.64 (27.39)g;

14.63 (15.66)h

            

2.71 (4.24)

1.90 (4.35)

>0.05

Soorya et al. [62]i

Language

RNW (NEPSY-II)

28.45 (8.98)

27.25 (14.67)

         

29.18 (4.33)

26.08 (10.50)

 

31 (7.2)

28.25 (14.94)

>0.05

  

EVT-2

91 (24.33)

95.67 (30.2)

         

87 (24.23)

98.17 (31.85)

 

90.27 (23.75)

98.58 (35.54)

>0.05

 

Learning and Memory

MFD (NEPSY-II)

71.82 (32.40)

86.08 (44.79)

         

81.45 (34.86)

94.08 (33.79)

 

89.64 (33.37)

114.5 (39.86)

>0.05

  

MFDd (NEPSY-II)

20.91 (13.19)

25.83 (16.45)

         

28.82 (12.55)

33.17 (14.15)

 

30.18 (13.30)

34.08 (13.46)

>0.05

  

NMFCR (NEPSY-II)

4.91 (4.85)

4.33 (3.42)

         

5.82 (3.55)

6.00 (4.09)

 

4.18 (3.74)

5.33 (4.44)

>0.05

  

NMR (NEPSY-II)

11.73 (4.34)

10.17 (4.84)

         

12.09 (2.63)

13.25 (2.83)

 

10.45 (6.82)

14.5 (1.51)

<0.05*

 

Perceptual-Motor Function

IHP (NEPSY-II)

15.82 (5.71)

15.17 (7.27)

         

18.55 (4.03)

16.5 (7.19)

 

17.91 (5.67)

17.17 (7.99)

>0.05

  

MMS (NEPSY-II)

36.27 (8.53)

34.92 (11.23)

         

38.73 (8.86)

35.58 (9.18)

 

41 (7.66)

35.75 (14.39)

>0.05

  

OS (NEPSY-II)

34.73 (10.45)

30 (15.32)

         

39.55 (9.77)

39.25 (17.0)

 

41.27 (11.84)

39 (24.89)

>0.05

 

General Cognitive Ability

WISC-IV/WASI-II

76.43 (26.49)

93.43 (26.526)

            

80.71 (21.66) (OR = 1.9)j, k

102.43 (22.31)

(OR = 2.5)j, l

 
  1. Ctrl, control; Tx, treatment; EOWPVT, expressive one word picture vocabulary test; ROWPVT, receptive one word picture vocabulary test; TMT, trail making test; VF, verbal fluency; DFT, design fluency test; CWI, color-word interference; TQT, twenty questions test; TT, tower test; WCT, word context test; CVLT, California verbal learning test; PLS-4, preschool language scale-fourth edition; RL, receptive language; EL, expressive language; GL, global language; K-BIT-2, Kaufman brief intelligence test-second edition; ABC, aberrant behavior checklist; RNW, repetition of nonsense words; NEPSY-II, A Developmental Neuropsychological Assessment-Second Edition; EVT-2, expressive vocabulary test-second edition; MFD, memory for designs; MFDd, memory for designs delayed; NMFCR, narrative memory free & cued recall; NMR, narrative memory recognition; IHP, imitating hand postures; MMS, manual motor sequences; OS, oromotor sequences; Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition; WASI-II, Wechsler abbreviated scale of intelligence-second edition; VIQ, verbal intelligence quotient.
  2. aP-value reflects a within-group paired sample t-test comparing baseline and endpoint scores in the treatment group.
  3. bLower score at endpoints indicates improvement.
  4. cMeasured by Sorting Test (Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System) and indicates the number of correct sorts generated by the subject.
  5. dMeasured by Sorting Test (Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System) and indicates the number of correct verbal descriptions generated by the subject.
  6. eComparison between donepezil group vs. control after 24 weeks of washout compared to baseline in children (5 – 10 years old; N = 10).
  7. fComparison between donepezil group vs. control after 24 weeks of washout compared to baseline in adolescents (10 – 16 years old; N = 6).
  8. gFull-scale intelligence quotient.
  9. hNonverbal intelligence quotient.
  10. ISoorya et al. [62] qualitatively reported outcomes as measured by the ABC, BOT-2, Sensory Profile-II, and Apraxia Profile. No significant improvements or group differences were reported after 12 or 24 weeks of treatment.
  11. jChanges in VIQ scores from baseline were assessed with post-treatment IQ data using odds ratios defined by changes in standardized scores of greater than 10 points.
  12. k0/7 subjects in the control group had gains of 10 points or greater in VIQ.
  13. l5/7 subjects in the memantine group had gains of 10 points or greater in VIQ.
  14. *For comparison of treatment and control group, p < 0.05.
  15. **For comparison of treatment and control group, p < 0.01.
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