UW researchers at the Center for Anxiety and Depression and the Diagnostic Imaging Center reported that child and adult dosing of fluvoxamine (Luvox) and fluoxetine (Prozac) were comparable when adjusted in relationship to weight. The study, published in the May issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry, systematically measured levels of the medications in children. Until now there was no systematic approach to prescribing Luvox and Prozac, frequently prescribed for children diagnosed with autism or other pervasive developmental disorders.

Corresponding author Stephen Dager, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and of radiology, and colleagues used non-invasive brain-imaging techniques, including an MRI scanner and fluorine magnetic resonance spectroscopy, to compare brain levels of the two medications prescribed to 28 adults and 16 children between 6 and 15 years old. The children in the study were being treated for autism disorder and other similar pervasive developmental disorders in the autism spectrum. The participating adults were not autistic, but were being treated for obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder or major depression.

The study authors agreed that in order to generalize the findings, more work needs to be done investigating brain uptake and concentration of these drugs in other pediatric populations.