Therapeutic efficacy of injectable mouse nerve growth factor in children with autism spectrum disorder

LI Wan-yue; SHANG Ya-ru; WANG Gang; WANG Nan; SHEN Long-bin; OU Jian-lin; LU Jian-liang; CHEN Zhuo-ming

doi:10.13820/j.cnki.gdyx.20241633

Abstract：Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy of injectable mouse nerve growth factor(mNGF)in trea-ting children with autism specturm disorder(ASD).Methods Fifty children with ASD meeting the inclusion criteria were randomly assigned into an observation group and a control group(n=25 each)using a random number table.The observation group received mNGF treatment at a dose of 18 μg per injection.The mNGF was mixed with 2 mL of normal saline and administered via intramuscular injection once daily.Each treatment course comprised 10 injections,with a 5-day break between courses,for a total of 3 courses.In the control group,children underwent rehabilitation training using a computer-based intelligent rehabilitation training system,with sessions held five times per week for 6 consecutive weeks.The Autism Behavior Checklist(ABC)and Childhood Autism Rating Scale(CARS)were used to assess the pa-tients at baseline,and at 4 and 12 weeks post-treatment.Results The scores of children in the observation group were much higher than those in the control group after intervention[ABC(t=-7.356,P<0.0001),CARS(t=-2.555,P=0.014);4 weeks ABC(t=-8.383,P<0.0001),CARS(t=-2.336,P=0.009);12 weeks ABC(t=-9.337,P<0.0001),CARS(t=-2.366,P=0.022)],and the differences were all statistically significant(P<0.05).In intra-group comparison,the scores of all time nodes after intervention were significantly better than before treat-ment(P<0.05).Conclusion Injectable mNGF treatment provides both immediate and sustained clinical benefits in children with ASD,significantly improving behavioral outcomes.These findings support the potential clinical application of mNGF for ASD treatment.