Health. Autism: Acupuncture, Music Therapy... Are These Complementary Therapies Effective?

A French study concludes that "complementary, alternative, and integrative" medicines are ineffective in treating autism, based on published research. This is an important topic, given that the use of these interventions is widespread among autistic people, with up to 90% of them resorting to them at least once in their lives.

However, the available evidence remains insufficient to confirm their effectiveness and safety. This does not mean, however, that they should be avoided if the person, or their parents in the case of a child, has personally seen a benefit from using them.

A rigorous scientific evaluation

Researchers from Paris Nanterre University and Paris Cité University conducted a review of 248 meta-analyses. They evaluated 19 interventions (physical activity, acupuncture, animal therapy, diets and dietary supplements, transcranial stimulation techniques, music therapy, sensory integration therapy).

In conclusion, they write that while some approaches appear promising, there is no strong evidence to support their effectiveness on the core or associated symptoms of autism. Only the consumption of polyunsaturated fatty acids in school-aged children has a moderate level of evidence, but it has "not had significant effects on the core symptoms of autism."

While some interventions show statistically significant effects, the level of evidence remains very – too – low. In school-age children, for example, music therapy, animal mediation and transcranial stimulation appear to improve symptoms, and melatonin promotes sleep.

In adolescents, repetitive transcranial stimulation can reduce stereotypical behaviors specific to autism, and in adults, physical activity could support social interactions. But there's a major caveat: "The scientific evidence remains of low quality and its reliability is very uncertain," explains Corentin Gosling, first author of the study (Child Psychiatry Department at Robert-Debré Hospital, Paris).

Moreover, the safety of interventions is rarely studied, as is the case with the administration of secretin, an intestinal hormone.

The high use of complementary, alternative, and integrative medicines is explained by a generally positive public perception regarding their safety and effectiveness, the authors write.

"However, numerous international studies and clinical guidelines report a lack of efficacy and, in some cases, adverse events for this type of intervention in autism. In this context, parents of autistic children highlight the difficulty of interpreting the scientific literature on the efficacy and safety of these interventions and express the need for a reliable, accessible, and concise resource to enable informed decisions."

There was therefore an urgent need to compile all available evidence and make this information easily accessible to the community, including health professionals, “in order to promote shared decision-making based on evidence.”

A platform to get information

To provide autistic people and their families with evidence-based information, the authors have designed a web platform. This scientific compilation, which will be continuously updated, aims to guide people with autism spectrum disorders, their parents, and physicians, and includes all proposed interventions.