ClinicalTrials.gg
Enrolling by invitationNCT06623227TACASDUpdated Oct 4, 2024

Effect of Increasing Total Antioxidant Capacity in Autism Spectrum Disorder

An interventional study of Placebo and Vitamin E and C in Autism Spectrum Disorder, sponsored by Rinvil Renaldi. Enrolling by invitation at 1 site in Indonesia. Open to participants aged 3 Years to 9 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-10-04.

Primary conditionAutistic DisorderRegistry: Autism Spectrum DisorderReclassifiedWhy we changed it
Registry
Autism Spectrum Disorder — the first condition term the registry derived for this study.
ClinicalTrials.gg
Autistic Disorder
Why
  1. The study's listed conditions name Autistic Disorder, a narrower term within Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Confidence
High: the new condition is named in the study's own listed conditions. Of 351 hand-checked studies reclassified this way, 68% were exactly right and 84% in the right disease family; the registry's first term was right for 5% (measured 2026-10-21). How we classify →
Wrong?
Tell us the study's main condition →

Sponsored by Rinvil Renaldi · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Primary completion was expected by Jan 2025, 1 year 9 months ago, but the record still lists the study as enrolling by invitation.
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
50
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
3 Years to 9 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

This double-blind, randomized, controlled trial (RCT) has the aim to evaluating the effectiveness of increasing Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) as add-on intervention in two cohorts of patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) who have received Risperidone (0.02-0.06 mg/KgBW) and Behavior Therapy as maintenance therapy. Both groups will receive placebo pill or Vitamin E and C pill using randomization. Clinical Symptoms, Aberrant Behavior and Quality of Life in Children with ASD will be assessed after 12 weeks of treatment in this study. Primary outcome measures of efficacy is Aberrant Behavior Checklist- Irritability (ABC-Irritability) and Secondary outcome measures include Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), Clinical Global Impression Scale - Improvement (CGI-I), The PedsQL and The WHOQOL BREF.

Read the detailed description

The continuation of ASD throughout life makes all efforts to optimize the abilities of children with ASD as early as possible so that their quality of life becomes better important. Management to improve current symptoms and overcome aberrant behavior in children with ASD generally focuses on behavioral intervention, psychotherapy and even pharmacotherapy, but the results are not satisfactory because it takes time, is expensive and unexpected side effects often occur after administering pharmacotherapy. On the other hand, research related to the role of oxidative stress has suggested a potential relationship between oxidative stress and autism pathophysiology that is not correlated with age and the underlying pathogenesis, but damage caused by oxidative stress will exacerbate dysfunction in children with ASD through chronic inflammatory responses, DNA and protein damage and mitochondrial superoxide production. Oxidative stress will influence the clinical symptoms and pathogenesis of ASD. Therefore, efforts to control the balance of oxidative stress to improve symptoms and neuropsychological deficits in patients with ASD are important. Lack of antioxidant capacity in children with ASD to neutralize and remove oxidants has been associated with the severity of clinical symptoms and aberrant behavior in children with ASD. Therefore, efforts to increase antioxidant capacity through providing antioxidants can offer a new strategy for dealing with accompanying symptoms in children with ASD.

Vitamin E and Vitamin C are non-enzymatic antioxidants which function to strengthen the work of enzymatic antioxidants in the oxidant-elimination, oxidation-reduction cycle process that occurs in the brain. Its includes in group of antioxidants which also referred as chain breaking. When used together with vitamin C which can function as a water-soluble antioxidant and other enzyme cofactors, reduced vitamin C can directly regenerate vitamin E which simultaneously undergoes oxidation to become ascorbate. Therefore, the use of vitamin C will be more effective when used together with vitamin E. Research has shown that administration with antioxidants such as vitamin E and vitamin C has a good effect on clinical symptoms and behavior in children with ASD.

In this randomized controlled trial (RCT), patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) who have received Risperidone and Behavior Therapy as maintenance therapy will be randomly assigned to receive either a placebo or a combination of Vitamins E (150-200 IU per day) and C (100-200 mg per day) for a duration of 3 months. This study was designed to verify whether increasing the TAC using Vitamin E and C improves clinical symptoms, aberrant behaviors, and quality of life in children with ASD.

This study shall include 50 patients with ASD, aged 3-9 years old. The study design of this RCT was balanced to all of patients treated with maintenance therapy as usual, so that half of the patients will receive placebo, and the remaining half will receive Vitamin E and C during 3 months. The purpose is to observe whether the increase of TAC could improve the clinical symptoms, aberrant behavior and quality of life in ASD patients. In addition to clinical and psychometric parameters, TAC will be measured at baseline, after 6 weeks and 12 weeks, by collecting 30-60 ml of fresh urine, a general urinalysis examination to rule out acute urinary tract infections, The TAC examination is carried out when the urine pH is normal and measurement with a calorimetric kit with enzyme method, ABTS.

02

Conditions studied

  • Autism Spectrum Disorder

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Keywords

  • Total antioxidant capacity
  • Autism
  • Clinical symptoms
  • Aberrant behavior
  • Quality of life
  • Vitamin E
  • Vitamin C
03

In context

Autistic Disorder Reclassified

1,030 studies on the registry are indexed under Autistic Disorder; 266 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 50 is close to the median of 49 across 811 interventional studies indexed under Autistic Disorder.

Browse Autistic Disorder studies →

Lead sponsor

Rinvil Renaldi is the lead sponsor of 2 studies on the registry; 1 is open to participants now.

Compared within Autistic Disorder, this study's primary condition as ClinicalTrials.gg classifies it; the registry's first condition term is Autism Spectrum Disorder. The counts are of registry records indexed under each term, refreshed daily. How we classify →

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
3 Years to 9 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  1. Both parents or a legally authorized patient representative (LAR) must provide written . The parents and guardian must be able to understand and comply with the experimental protocol with a minimum of junior high school education.
  2. Parents earn no less than IDR 3,434,298 (South Sulawesi Province Minimum Wage for 2024).
  3. Subjects of both sexes, aged between 3-9 years old, may be included in the study.
  4. The subject must meet criteria for a primary diagnosis of Autism.
  5. Patients treated with Risperidone (0.02-0.06 mg/KgBW) are enrolled only if the treatment and dosage of these drugs has been constant for at least 2 months prior to enrollment in the trial and is kept constant throughout the 3-month duration of the trial.
  6. Patients undergoing any kind of behavioral intervention must have must have underwent the intervention at least 2 sessions prior to enrollment and the intervention must remain unchanged throughout the 3-month duration of the trial.
  7. Baseline Clinical Global Impression - Severity (CGI-S) score below 7.
  8. The patient is able to swallow the capsule or his/her parents are available to open it and administer immediately its content in a small quantity of juice or soft-drink.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Patients with organic disease and/or congenital malformation including known genetic syndromes for example, Rett syndrome, fragile-X syndrome, and Down Syndrome etc.).
  2. Patients with autism secondary to epileptic encephalopathy or with idiopathic autism co-morbid with seizures more frequent than one episode every 6 months despite ongoing anti epileptic drug therapy.
  3. Patients treated with anticoagulants.
  4. Patients with serious medical illnesses (chronic renal disease, severe liver disease, cardiovascular disorders, malignant tumors, infection).
  5. Patients with a history of acute cerebrovascular episodes.
  6. Patients with a history of stomach bleeding or active peptic ulcer.
  7. Patients with documented allergy, or intolerance to one of the of the experimental or comparative product.
  8. Patients have been consuming other antioxidants.
  9. Patients with active urinary tract infections.
  10. Patients with poor compliance and or no control back to the Hospital.

Trial interruption criteria:

  1. Patients whose medical conditions require starting treatment with anticoagulants.
  2. Patients with severe medical conditions starting during the 3-month duration of the trial.
  3. Patients who undergo a change in psychopharmacological or behavioral treatment during the 3-month duration of the trial.
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(5)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Informed consent

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

DSM diagnostic criteria

The American Psychiatric Association’s manual of mental health diagnoses. DSM-5 (2013, revised as DSM-5-TR in 2022) replaced DSM-IV, and some studies still name the older edition. “Meets DSM criteria for …” means diagnosed by that edition’s diagnostic criteria, usually by a clinician in an interview.

HIV

The human immunodeficiency virus, which weakens the immune system.

Many studies now accept people whose HIV is controlled on treatment, judged by the viral load and the CD4 count. Check the limits this study sets.

Hypersensitivity

An allergy, or another reaction of the immune system, to a substance. “Hypersensitivity to the study drug” means a known allergic reaction to it — not every side effect a medicine can have.

Excipients

The other ingredients in a medicine besides the active drug, such as fillers, colours or preservatives.

05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Quadruple (Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
50 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    ASD Placebo

    If the age is up to 4 years old: • Risperidone (0.02-0.06 mg/KgBW) and Behavior Therapy as maintenance therapy and Capsule Placebo. If age is above 4 years old: • Risperidone (0.02-0.06 mg/KgBW) and Behavior Therapy as maintenance therapy and Capsule Placebo.

    Dietary Supplement: Placebo

  • Experimental
    ASD Active compound

    If the age is up to 4 years old: • Risperidone (0.02-0.06 mg/KgBW) and Behavior Therapy as maintenance therapy and Capsul containing Vitamin E 150 IU and Vitamin C 100 mg. If age is above 4 years old: • Risperidone (0.02-0.06 mg/KgBW) and Behavior Therapy as maintenance therapy and Capsul containing Vitamin E 200 IU and Vitamin C 200 mg.

    Dietary Supplement: Vitamin E and C

Interventions

  • Dietary supplementPlacebo

    Capsule contains substances that are safe, non-active, and commonly used in pharmaceuticals (microcrystalline cellulose) with an appropriate coloring dye and in the active arms, Vitamin E and C. Capsules can be opened and the content drunk or chewed, if children have difficulties with swallowing capsules

  • Dietary supplementVitamin E and C

    Drug page: Vitamin E

    Capsule Vitamin E (Natural Vitamin E, d-alpha tocopherol) 150 IU or 200 IU containing also Vitamin C 100 mg or 200 mg b.id depending on age. Capsules can be opened and the content drunk or chewed, if children have difficulties with swallowing capsules

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Aberrant Behavior Checklist - Irritability (ABC-I)

    An instrument which is used by parents to measure aberrant behavior in children which consists of 15 assessment items with a scale of 0-3 to assess the level of severity. Score between 0-45 with interpretation if score \<20, mild; 20-40 moderate; \>40, severe irritability.

    Time frame: At 0, 6 and 12 weeks duration of trial

Secondary outcomes

  1. Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS)

    CARS is an instrument for measuring the severity of signs and symptoms of ASD carried out by experienced clinicians. Score between 15-60 with interpretation if score \<30, non-autistic; 30-36.5 mild to moderate autism; 37-60, severe autism.

    Time frame: At 0, 6 and 12 weeks duration of trial

  2. Clinical Global Impression Scale- Improvement (CGI-I)

    a scale consisting of 7 assessment points used by clinicians to assess the severity of the patient\'s initial condition, patient improvement/worsening during follow-up and treatment side effects.

    Time frame: At 0, 6 and 12 weeks duration of trial

  3. The Pediatric Quality of Life TM (The PedsQL)

    An instrument for assessing the quality of life in children related to health conditions, through self-assessment and/or parental observation, which is assessed based on conditions during the last 1 month.

    Time frame: At 0, 6 and 12 weeks duration of trial

  4. WHOQOL-BREF

    An instrument for assessing parents\' quality of life through self-assessment. The WHOQOL is a 26-item instrument consisting of four domains: physical health (7 items), psychological health (6 items), social relationships (3 items), and environmental health (8 items); it also contains QOL and general health items. Each individual item of the WHOQOL-BREF is scored from 1 to 5 on a response scale, which is stipulated as a five-point ordinal scale. The scores are then transformed linearly to a 0-100-scale.

    Time frame: At 0, 6 and 12 weeks duration of trial

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Doctoral Programme at Hasanuddin University
    Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Persico AM, Arango C, Buitelaar JK, Correll CU, Glennon JC, Hoekstra PJ, Moreno C, Vitiello B, Vorstman J, Zuddas A; European Child and Adolescent Clinical Psychopharmacology Network. Unmet needs in paediatric psychopharmacology: Present scenario and future perspectives. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2015 Oct;25(10):1513-31. doi: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2015.06.009. Epub 2015 Jun 20. PubMed 26166453 ↗
  • Adams JB, Audhya T, McDonough-Means S, Rubin RA, Quig D, Geis E, Gehn E, Loresto M, Mitchell J, Atwood S, Barnhouse S, Lee W. Effect of a vitamin/mineral supplement on children and adults with autism. BMC Pediatr. 2011 Dec 12;11:111. doi: 10.1186/1471-2431-11-111. PubMed 22151477 ↗
  • Zambrelli E, Lividini A, Spadavecchia S, Turner K, Canevini MP. Effects of Supplementation With Antioxidant Agents on Sleep in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Review. Front Psychiatry. 2021 Jun 28;12:689277. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.689277. eCollection 2021. PubMed 34262494 ↗
  • Wang L, Wang B, Wu C, Wang J, Sun M. Autism Spectrum Disorder: Neurodevelopmental Risk Factors, Biological Mechanism, and Precision Therapy. Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Jan 17;24(3):1819. doi: 10.3390/ijms24031819. PubMed 36768153 ↗
  • Vargason T, Kruger U, Roth E, Delhey LM, Tippett M, Rose S, Bennuri SC, Slattery JC, Melnyk S, James SJ, Frye RE, Hahn J. Comparison of Three Clinical Trial Treatments for Autism Spectrum Disorder Through Multivariate Analysis of Changes in Metabolic Profiles and Adaptive Behavior. Front Cell Neurosci. 2018 Dec 19;12:503. doi: 10.3389/fncel.2018.00503. eCollection 2018. PubMed 30618645 ↗
  • Traber MG. Vitamin E: necessary nutrient for neural development and cognitive function. Proc Nutr Soc. 2021 Aug;80(3):319-326. doi: 10.1017/S0029665121000914. Epub 2021 Apr 26. PubMed 33896432 ↗
  • Teleanu DM, Niculescu AG, Lungu II, Radu CI, Vladacenco O, Roza E, Costachescu B, Grumezescu AM, Teleanu RI. An Overview of Oxidative Stress, Neuroinflammation, and Neurodegenerative Diseases. Int J Mol Sci. 2022 May 25;23(11):5938. doi: 10.3390/ijms23115938. PubMed 35682615 ↗
  • Silvestrini A, Meucci E, Ricerca BM, Mancini A. Total Antioxidant Capacity: Biochemical Aspects and Clinical Significance. Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Jul 1;24(13):10978. doi: 10.3390/ijms241310978. PubMed 37446156 ↗
  • Pangrazzi L, Balasco L, Bozzi Y. Natural Antioxidants: A Novel Therapeutic Approach to Autism Spectrum Disorders? Antioxidants (Basel). 2020 Nov 26;9(12):1186. doi: 10.3390/antiox9121186. PubMed 33256243 ↗
  • Hughes HK, R J Moreno, Ashwood P. Innate immune dysfunction and neuroinflammation in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Brain Behav Immun. 2023 Feb;108:245-254. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2022.12.001. Epub 2022 Dec 6. PubMed 36494048 ↗
  • Liu X, Lin J, Zhang H, Khan NU, Zhang J, Tang X, Cao X, Shen L. Oxidative Stress in Autism Spectrum Disorder-Current Progress of Mechanisms and Biomarkers. Front Psychiatry. 2022 Mar 1;13:813304. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.813304. eCollection 2022. PubMed 35299821 ↗
  • Logan SL, Carpenter L, Leslie RS, Garrett-Mayer E, Hunt KJ, Charles J, Nicholas JS. Aberrant Behaviors and Co-occurring Conditions as Predictors of Psychotropic Polypharmacy among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol. 2015 May;25(4):323-36. doi: 10.1089/cap.2013.0119. Epub 2015 Apr 28. PubMed 25919445 ↗
  • Lee KH, Cha M, Lee BH. Neuroprotective Effect of Antioxidants in the Brain. Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Sep 28;21(19):7152. doi: 10.3390/ijms21197152. PubMed 32998277 ↗
  • Imataka G, Yui K, Shiko Y, Kawasaki Y, Sasaki H, Shiroki R, Yoshihara S. Urinary and Plasma Antioxidants in Behavioral Symptoms of Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Psychiatry. 2021 Sep 3;12:684445. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.684445. eCollection 2021. PubMed 34539458 ↗
  • Goel R, Hong JS, Findling RL, Ji NY. An update on pharmacotherapy of autism spectrum disorder in children and adolescents. Int Rev Psychiatry. 2018 Feb;30(1):78-95. doi: 10.1080/09540261.2018.1458706. Epub 2018 Apr 25. PubMed 29693461 ↗
  • Gabriele S, Sacco R, Persico AM. Blood serotonin levels in autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2014 Jun;24(6):919-29. doi: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2014.02.004. Epub 2014 Feb 19. PubMed 24613076 ↗
  • Frye RE. Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Unique Abnormalities and Targeted Treatments. Semin Pediatr Neurol. 2020 Oct;35:100829. doi: 10.1016/j.spen.2020.100829. Epub 2020 Jun 23. PubMed 32892956 ↗
  • Doyle CA, McDougle CJ. Pharmacologic treatments for the behavioral symptoms associated with autism spectrum disorders across the lifespan. Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2012 Sep;14(3):263-79. doi: 10.31887/DCNS.2012.14.3/cdoyle. PubMed 23226952 ↗
  • Cucinotta F, Ricciardello A, Turriziani L, Mancini A, Keller R, Sacco R, Persico AM. Efficacy and Safety of Q10 Ubiquinol With Vitamins B and E in Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A Retrospective Chart Review. Front Psychiatry. 2022 Mar 3;13:829516. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.829516. eCollection 2022. PubMed 35308885 ↗
  • Chauhan A, Chauhan V. Oxidative stress in autism. Pathophysiology. 2006 Aug;13(3):171-81. doi: 10.1016/j.pathophys.2006.05.007. Epub 2006 Jun 12. PubMed 16766163 ↗
  • Casanova MF, Frye RE, Gillberg C, Casanova EL. Editorial: Comorbidity and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Psychiatry. 2020 Nov 20;11:617395. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.617395. eCollection 2020. No abstract available. PubMed 33329163 ↗
  • Baraskewich J, von Ranson KM, McCrimmon A, McMorris CA. Feeding and eating problems in children and adolescents with autism: A scoping review. Autism. 2021 Aug;25(6):1505-1519. doi: 10.1177/1362361321995631. Epub 2021 Mar 2. PubMed 33653157 ↗
  • Aishworiya R, Valica T, Hagerman R, Restrepo B. An Update on Psychopharmacological Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Neurotherapeutics. 2022 Jan;19(1):248-262. doi: 10.1007/s13311-022-01183-1. Epub 2022 Jan 14. PubMed 35029811 ↗
  • Bjorklund G, Waly MI, Al-Farsi Y, Saad K, Dadar M, Rahman MM, Elhoufey A, Chirumbolo S, Jozwik-Pruska J, Kaluzna-Czaplinska J. The Role of Vitamins in Autism Spectrum Disorder: What Do We Know? J Mol Neurosci. 2019 Mar;67(3):373-387. doi: 10.1007/s12031-018-1237-5. Epub 2019 Jan 3. PubMed 30607900 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reachedSimilar studies: half by the dot; the band is the middle halfHalf of similar studies reached it by the dot; the band is the middle half, from a quarter to three quarters

Started Sep 2024 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Jan 2025, 4 months after the start.

Of 354 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Autistic Disorder, half reached primary completion within 26 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 14 and three quarters within 52. This study's planned 4 months is below that.

Counting every sponsor, half of 366 studies reached it within 26 months; a quarter within 13 and three quarters within 52.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Sep 30, 2024
First posted
Oct 2, 2024
StartActual
Sep 28, 2024
Primary completionEst.
Jan 31, 2025
CompletionEst.
Jun 30, 2025
Last update
Oct 4, 2024
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Oct 4, 2024, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT06623227
Lead sponsor
Rinvil Renaldi
Collaborators
University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Indonesia University, RSUP Dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo
Responsible party
Rinvil Renaldi (MD, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Hasanuddin University) — Sponsor-investigator
First posted
Oct 2, 2024
Start date
Sep 28, 2024
Primary completion
Jan 31, 2025 (estimated)
Completion
Jun 30, 2025 (estimated)
Last update
Oct 4, 2024

Study contacts

Rinvil Renaldi, MD
principal investigator · Hasanuddin University

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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Studies of the drug tested here: Vitamin E

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