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Family talk therapy shows promise for autism – brain scans reveal changes

NCT ID NCT07246395

Symptom relief Sponsor: University of Coimbra Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing This study
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study tests whether a special type of family therapy, called Narrative Family Therapy, can improve how families with an autistic child communicate and function. Sixty-three families will either receive eight therapy sessions or play family games. Researchers will also use brain scans and heart monitors to see if the therapy changes brain activity linked to social understanding. The goal is to see if this approach can reduce stress and improve family life.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
Narrative Family Therapy
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a new, family-focused therapy to improve communication and well-being for families living with autism.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage study (63 participants) with no blinding, so results may not apply widely. The therapy is behavioral, not a cure, and benefits may be modest.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

63 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Feb 2023

Expected to finish

Dec 2025

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

8 to 18 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Families of children, adolescents and/or young adults with ages ranging from 8 to 18 years; * Children, adolescents and/or young adults with a primary diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder, verbally fluent, and without intellectual impairment (intelligence quotient above 70 as measured by the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children or Adults - 3rd Edition, WISC-III or WAIS-III). * Nuclear intact, divorced, large, and single-parent families. Exclusion Criteria: * Participants with brain injury, alcoholism, drug abuse, active psychosis, homicidal/suicidal ideation, and personality disorder.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

autism spectrum disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Autism spectrum disorder

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS), University of Coimbra

    Coimbra, Portugal

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.