If your wellbeing is affected by autism, you might be able to give your mental health a boost with blood pressure medications. This is according to a new study published in the Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, which found that propranolol – a drug commonly used to treat high blood pressure, anxiety, and panic attacks – improved the working memory of people with autism spectrum disorders.
As a result of their findings, the researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia have stated that propranolol may help improve the language abilities and social wellness of people with autism. Autistic individuals commonly have a hard time communicating with others because they process language, facial expressions, and social cues differently. The study investigators commented that your working memory affects your ability to retain information on a short-term basis, which allows you to follow conversations, complete puzzles, and remember directions.
For the study, the researchers evaluated how propranolol affected 14 young adult patients of the MU Thompson Centre for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, as well as a second group of 13 study participants who do not have autism. The drug enhanced the working memory of those with autism, but was found to have little to no effect on the control group.
According to Neurologist David Beversdorf, an associate professor in the Departments of Radiology and Neurology in the MU School of Medicine, the drug may work by calming the nervous responses that get in the way of autistics’ ability to respond appropriately to stressful situations. ‘Seeing a tiger might signal a fight or flight response. Nowadays, a stressor such as taking an exam could generate the same response, which is not helpful,’ Beversdorf explained. ‘Propranolol works by calming those nervous responses, which is why some people benefit from taking the drug to reduce anxiety.’
However, this is not to say that doctors should start prescribing propranolol for autism sufferers solely to improve their working memory. Shawn Christ, an associate professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences in the MU College of Arts and Science who helped conduct the study, noted, ‘People with an [ASD] who are already being prescribed propranolol for a different reason, such as anxiety, might also see an improvement in working memory.’
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