Table 1. Summary of Baseline Characteristics by Treatment Group.
| No. (%) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fluoxetine (n = 75) | Placebo (n = 71) | |
| Site | ||
| Royal Children’s Hospital | 19 (25) | 17 (24) |
| State Child Development Centre | 8 (11) | 9 (13) |
| Westmead | 48 (64) | 45 (63) |
| Age stratification, y | ||
| 13-18 | 27 (36) | 25 (35) |
| 7.5-12 | 48 (64) | 46 (65) |
| Demographics | ||
| Age at consent, mean (SD), y | 11.3 (2.9) | 11.0 (2.8) |
| Height with no shoes, mean (SD) [No.], cm | 148.0 (17.1) [60] | 146.6 (15.3) [67] |
| Weight with no shoes, mean (SD) [No.], kg | 42.4 (16.4) [75] | 42.9 (16.6) [70] |
| Sex | ||
| Boys | 69 (92) | 55 (78) |
| Girls | 6 (8) | 16 (23) |
| Autism History | ||
| Primary diagnosis | ||
| Autism | 32 (43) | 33 (47) |
| Asperger syndrome | 12 (16) | 9 (13) |
| ASD | 31 (41) | 29 (41) |
| Intellectual disability | 23 (31) | 21 (30) |
| Communication level, No. | 75 | 70 |
| Normal language for age | 49 (65) | 48 (69) |
| Impaired speech and language | 22 (29) | 17 (24) |
| Has no speech | 4 (5) | 5 (7) |
| Current medications (including alternative therapies)a | 33 (44) | 29 (41) |
| Receiving stimulant medications at baseline | 2 (3) | 0 |
| Family history of ASD, No. | 75 | 70 |
| No | 35 (47) | 42 (60) |
| Yes | 28 (37) | 22 (31) |
| Uncertain | 12 (16) | 6 (9) |
| History of seizures, No. | 75 | 70 |
| No | 73 (97) | 67 (96) |
| Yes | 2 (3) | 3 (4) |
Abbreviation: ASD, autism spectrum disorder.
a
Current medications included antiasthma medications, laxatives, and vitamins.