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 .
The Overt Aggression Scale in a study of lithium in aggressive conduct disorder.
This article describes an open study of lithium carbonate in conduct-disordered children . The objective of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of lithium in reducing aggression and the usefulness of the Overt Aggression Scale ( OAS ) , as a measure of treatment effect . The subjects , 8 children , ages 9.2 to 16.9 years ( mean + /- st and ard deviation [ SD ] = 12.48 + /- 2.97 ) , were treated for 4 weeks with lithium . Optimal dosages ranged from 1200 to 1800 mg/day ( mean = 1350 + /- 227 ) with corresponding serum lithium levels ranging from 0.86 to 1.39 mEq/L ( mean = 1.05 + /- 0.17 ) . OAS results indicated that aggression decreased significantly over time . The findings from the OAS agreed with findings from a more general measure , the Global Clinical Consensus Rating , leading to the conclusion that the OAS is a promising outcome measure for treatment studies of aggression in children . Further placebo-controlled studies of lithium carbonate in reducing aggressive behavior in conduct-disordered children , employing a specific measure such as the OAS , are warranted
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 .