Results There is some evidence of the effectiveness of medication in treating DBDs , with positive outcomes for lithium and risperidone in particular .
Pharmacotherapy also demonstrated some efficacy in reducing symptoms of aggression .
Medication was relatively well-tolerated , as indicated by equivalent dropout rates in medication and comparison groups .
Rationale Pharmacotherapy is frequently considered in the treatment of  disruptive behavior disorders ( DBDs ) in children and adolescents .
There are , however , no systematic review s of this literature .
Objectives The aim of this work is to determine whether medication is effective in treating pediatric disruptive behavior disorders and related problems of impulse control , as well as to examine differences in the treatment response and tolerability of different medication classes and agents .
Lithium in hospitalized aggressive children with conduct disorder: a double-blind and placebo-controlled study.
OBJECTIVE To assess critically the efficacy and safety of lithium and replicate earlier findings in a larger sample of aggressive children with conduct disorder and to assess the utility of the Profile of Mood States ( POMS ) in this population . METHODS Children hospitalized for treatment-refractory severe aggressiveness and explosiveness and with diagnosed conduct disorder were subjects in this double-blind , placebo-controlled clinical trial . After a 2-week placebo baseline period , children were r and omly assigned to lithium or placebo treatment for 6 weeks of placebo . The main outcome measures were the Global Clinical Judgments ( Consensus ) Scale , Children 's Psychiatric Rating Scale , Conners Teacher Question naire , Parent-Teacher Question naire , and the POMS . RESULTS Fifty children ( mean age 9.4 years ) completed this study . The mean optimal daily dose of lithium was 1,248 mg and the mean serum level was 1.12 mEq/L. Lithium was superior to placebo , although the effects on some measures were more modest than in a previous study . CONCLUSIONS Lithium appears to be an effective treatment for some severely aggressive children with conduct disorder . Although the POMS appeared to be reliable , it did not detect any response to lithium
Results There is some evidence of the effectiveness of medication in treating DBDs , with positive outcomes for lithium and risperidone in particular .
Pharmacotherapy also demonstrated some efficacy in reducing symptoms of aggression .
Medication was relatively well-tolerated , as indicated by equivalent dropout rates in medication and comparison groups .
Rationale Pharmacotherapy is frequently considered in the treatment of  disruptive behavior disorders ( DBDs ) in children and adolescents .
There are , however , no systematic review s of this literature .
Objectives The aim of this work is to determine whether medication is effective in treating pediatric disruptive behavior disorders and related problems of impulse control , as well as to examine differences in the treatment response and tolerability of different medication classes and agents .