Autism Spectrum DisorderalnicoNCT07638657
Investigating Autimia, a Digital Intervention for Patients With Autism Spectrum Disorder
A study testing autimia in people with Autism Spectrum Disorder, run by Gaia AG at 1 site in Germany.
Trial summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to find out if autimia, a digital health intervention, can help adults with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) manage their daily lives and improve their well-being. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 65 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- What is being tested?
- autimia
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 236 participants
- Where
- 1 siteGermany
- Study dates
- 12 Jun 2026to Jun 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 65 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- prior suspected diagnosis of ASD by a healthcare professional
- diagnosis of ASD (ICD-10 codes: F84.5, F84.0, F84.1) confirmed in a semi-structured diagnostic interview conducted as a telemedical consultation
- IQ ≥ 80
- increased levels of psychological distress (DASS-21 total score ≥ 21)
- stable treatment (medication, psychotherapy, no treatment, …) for at least 30 days at the time of inclusion
- sufficient knowledge of the German language
- basic IT skills required for independent use of a digital intervention
- consent to participation
Who cannot join
- plans to change treatment (medication, psychotherapy, …) in the upcoming 3 months after inclusion
- diagnosis of another severe psychiatric disorder (acute severe affective disorder, acute psychotic disorder, acute substance use disorder, borderline personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder)
- acute suicidality
- currently being under legal guardianship for healthcare decisions
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Germany1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
GAIA AG
Hamburg
Anja Specht, anja.specht@gaia-group.com
About this study
Official title: Investigating Autimia, a Digital Intervention for Patients With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Randomized Controlled Trial (Alnico Trial)
The goal of this clinical trial is to find out if autimia, a digital health intervention, can help adults with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) manage their daily lives and improve their well-being.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
Read more
- Does autimia, together with regular treatment, improve health outcomes after three months better than regular treatment alone?
- Are the positive effects of autimia still noticeable after six months?
Researchers will compare two groups:
- Intervention group: Participants use the autimia intervention and continue their usual treatment.
- Control group: Participants continue with their usual treatment only.
Participants will:
- Participate in a video call with a specialist to confirm a diagnosis of ASD
- Fill out questionnaires online at the start of the study, after 3 months, and after 6 months
- Continue with their usual treatment (both groups) and use autimia, a digital health intervention, for six months (intervention group only)
Read the detailed description
This pragmatic, two-arm randomized controlled trial evaluates the effectiveness of autimia, a certified medical device (CE-marked, risk class I), when used alongside regular treatment. The study compares the addition of this digital health intervention to treatment as usual (TAU) against TAU alone. Designed as an interactive online program, autimia incorporates recognized elements of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), behavior change, and patient education.
To ensure the inclusion of the appropriate target population, participants undergo a video-based diagnostic consultation with trained clinical professionals. This session involves a semi-structured interview and a standardized social behavior observation based on the ADOS-2 to confirm the diagnosis according to ICD-10-GM criteria.
Following confirmation, participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups. The intervention group receives immediate access to autimia for six months alongside their usual treatment. The control group continues their regular treatment and is granted access to the intervention after a six-month waiting period.
Data is collected from both groups via online questionnaires at the start of the study, after three months, and after six months. The primary evaluation of effectiveness will be conducted at the three-month follow-up. Data collected at the six-month mark will be utilized to assess the stability of the observed intervention effects.
- Conditions
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Being tested
- autimia
- Medical subject headings
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
autimiaBehavioural
Participants allocated to the intervention group will receive access to autimia in addition to treatment as usual (TAU).
autimia is a digital health intervention designed for individuals with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), accessible through a web browser. The application focuses on treatment methods derived from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), health behavior change, and patient education. Topics addressed by autimia are self-acceptance and self-worth, stress management and coping skills, optimizing the environment and communication, as well as understanding emotions and social interactions.
The program operates through interactive "dialogues", which are accompanied by illustrations, audio recordings, motivating text messages, worksheets, and summaries. Users are also encouraged to regularly complete short questionnaires to monitor their progress. Once registered, the program remains accessible for six months.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| autimia | Experimental | Participants will receive access to the digital health intervention autimia in addition to TAU. Receives: Behavioral: autimia |
| Control group | No intervention | Participants allocated to the control group will receive access to treatment as usual (TAU). |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
21-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS-21) total score
The DASS-21 is a 21-item PROM to assess psychological distress. The total score is the sum of all items and ranges from 0 to 63. Higher total scores indicate greater psychological distress and thus a worse outcome, whereas lower scores indicate fewer symptoms and a better outcome.
Measured: 3 months
Secondary outcomes (3)
Work and Social Adjustment Scale (WSAS) total score
The WSAS is a 5-item PROM to assess functional impairment in work, home life, and social activities. The total score is the sum of all items and ranges from 0 to 40. Higher total scores indicate greater disability and thus a worse outcome, whereas lower scores indicate less disability and a better outcome.
Measured: 3 months
Social Responsiveness Scale for Adults (SRS-A) total score
The SRS-A is a 65-item PROM to assess social symptomatology in adults with ASD. The total score is the sum of all items and ranges from 0 to 195. Higher total scores indicate greater social impairment and thus a worse outcome, whereas lower scores indicate fewer symptoms and a better outcome.
Measured: 3 months
Multidimensional Self Esteem Scale (MSWS) emotional self-esteem subscale score
The MSWS is a PROM to assess self-esteem. The emotional self-esteem subscale consists of 7 items to assess emotional self-worth. The subscale score is the sum of these items and ranges from 7 to 49. Lower scores indicate lower self-esteem and thus a worse outcome, whereas higher scores indicate higher self-esteem and a better outcome.
Measured: 3 months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted10 Jun 2026
- Study start12 Jun 2026
- Primary completionMar 2027 (estimated)
- Study completionJun 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Autism Spectrum DisorderStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 236 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Gaia AG
- Sponsor type
- Industry (pharma, biotech, devices)
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Isabel Dziobek, Prof. Dr., Principal investigator, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07638657
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- autimia RCT 2026
- Acronym
- alnico
- Status last verified
- Jun 2026
- First submitted
- 4 Jun 2026
- Last updated
- 16 Jun 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 16 Jun 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Investigating Autimia, a Digital Intervention for Patients With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Randomized Controlled Trial (Alnico Trial)
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07638657
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- alnico / autimia RCT 2026
- Conditions
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 236 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Gaia AGIndustry (pharma, biotech, devices)
- Study start
- 12 Jun 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Mar 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Jun 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 10 Jun 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The goal of this clinical trial is to find out if autimia, a digital health intervention, can help adults with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) manage their daily lives and improve their well-being.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Does autimia, together with regular treatment, improve health outcomes after three months better than regular treatment alone?
- Are the positive effects of autimia still noticeable after six months?
Researchers will compare two groups:
- Intervention group: Participants use the autimia intervention and continue their usual treatment.
- Control group: Participants continue with their usual treatment only.
Participants will:
- Participate in a video call with a specialist to confirm a diagnosis of ASD
- Fill out questionnaires online at the start of the study, after 3 months, and after 6 months
- Continue with their usual treatment (both groups) and use autimia, a digital health intervention, for six months (intervention group only)
Detailed description
This pragmatic, two-arm randomized controlled trial evaluates the effectiveness of autimia, a certified medical device (CE-marked, risk class I), when used alongside regular treatment. The study compares the addition of this digital health intervention to treatment as usual (TAU) against TAU alone. Designed as an interactive online program, autimia incorporates recognized elements of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), behavior change, and patient education.
To ensure the inclusion of the appropriate target population, participants undergo a video-based diagnostic consultation with trained clinical professionals. This session involves a semi-structured interview and a standardized social behavior observation based on the ADOS-2 to confirm the diagnosis according to ICD-10-GM criteria.
Following confirmation, participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups. The intervention group receives immediate access to autimia for six months alongside their usual treatment. The control group continues their regular treatment and is granted access to the intervention after a six-month waiting period.
Data is collected from both groups via online questionnaires at the start of the study, after three months, and after six months. The primary evaluation of effectiveness will be conducted at the three-month follow-up. Data collected at the six-month mark will be utilized to assess the stability of the observed intervention effects.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| autimia | Experimental | Behavioral: autimiaParticipants will receive access to the digital health intervention autimia in addition to TAU. |
| Control group | No intervention | –Participants allocated to the control group will receive access to treatment as usual (TAU). |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 65 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (8 listed)
- prior suspected diagnosis of ASD by a healthcare professional
- diagnosis of ASD (ICD-10 codes: F84.5, F84.0, F84.1) confirmed in a semi-structured diagnostic interview conducted as a telemedical consultation
- IQ ≥ 80
- increased levels of psychological distress (DASS-21 total score ≥ 21)
- stable treatment (medication, psychotherapy, no treatment, …) for at least 30 days at the time of inclusion
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- plans to change treatment (medication, psychotherapy, …) in the upcoming 3 months after inclusion
- diagnosis of another severe psychiatric disorder (acute severe affective disorder, acute psychotic disorder, acute substance use disorder, borderline personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder)
- acute suicidality
- currently being under legal guardianship for healthcare decisions
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| autimiaParticipants allocated to the intervention group will receive access to autimia in addition to treatment as usual (TAU). autimia is a digital health intervention designed for individuals with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), accessible through a web browser. The application focuses on treatment methods derived from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), health behavior change, and patient education. Topics addressed by autimia are self-acceptance and self-worth, stress management and coping skills, optimizing the environment and communication, as well as understanding emotions and social interactions. The program operates through interactive "dialogues", which are accompanied by illustrations, audio recordings, motivating text messages, worksheets, and summaries. Users are also encouraged to regularly complete short questionnaires to monitor their progress. Once registered, the program remains accessible for six months. | Behavioural | autimia |
Primary outcome
21-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS-21) total score
Time frame: 3 months
The DASS-21 is a 21-item PROM to assess psychological distress. The total score is the sum of all items and ranges from 0 to 63. Higher total scores indicate greater psychological distress and thus a worse outcome, whereas lower scores indicate fewer symptoms and a better outcome.
3 secondary outcomes
Work and Social Adjustment Scale (WSAS) total score
Time frame: 3 months
Social Responsiveness Scale for Adults (SRS-A) total score
Time frame: 3 months
Multidimensional Self Esteem Scale (MSWS) emotional self-esteem subscale score
Time frame: 3 months
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 16 Jun 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
Related trials for Autism Spectrum Disorder
RecruitingPhase 1
Cannabidiol (CBD) in Adults With ASD
Autism Spectrum Disorder
RecruitingPhase 3
A Study to Evaluate the Long-term Safety and Tolerability of Xanomeline and Trospium Chloride for the Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders in Children and Adolescents
Schizophrenia, Autism-Related Irritability
Not yet recruiting
Sensory-integration Therapy Verses Augumented Reality-based Training in ASD
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Recruiting
Cumulative and Booster Effects of Multisession Prefrontal tDCS in ASD Adolescents
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation, Autistic Spectrum Disorder
Not yet recruiting
"Family Resilience And Mind-body Enhancement" (FRAME): A Randomised Controlled Trial
Autism
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Isabel Dziobek, Prof. Dr. principal investigator
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing autimia in people with Autism Spectrum Disorder, run by Gaia AG at 1 site in Germany.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 8 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 16 Jun 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Germany. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Linda T. Betz, PhD (+49 40 3510520, linda.betz@gaia-group.com), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
21-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS-21) total score (time frame: 3 months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 16 Jun 2026.