Mirtazapine Treatment of Anxiety in Children and Adolescents With Pervasive Developmental Disorders

Inclusion Criteria:

• Ages 5-17 years

• Diagnosis of autistic disorder, Asperger's disorder or Pervasive DevelopmentalDisorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD NOS)

• Clinically significant anxiety as evidenced by a Pediatric Anxiety Rating Scale (PARS)score of 10 or greater

• Abbreviated intelligence quotient (IQ) greater than 50 on the Stanford Binet 5th Ed.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosis of Rett's disorder or childhood integrative disorder

• Diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder,major mood disorder, psychotic disorder, or substance use disorder

• Presence of any past or present medical conditions that would make treatment withmirtazapine unsafe

• Use of other antidepressants or benzodiazepines

• Use of other psychotropic medications which are ineffective, poorly tolerated, orsub-optimal in terms of dose

• Previous adequate trial of mirtazapine