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 .
Acute and chronic administration of trazodone in the treatment of disruptive behavior disorders in children.
We report the results of an open trial of trazodone in the treatment of  severe behavioral disturbances in a sample of 22 hospitalized children previously found to be unresponsive to other treatments . Response to treatment was assessed by overall clinical criteria and improvements in individual symptom dimensions during the inpatient hospitalization . Thirteen children ( 67 % ) were found to benefit from the introduction of trazodone .  Aggressive , impulsive behaviors were symptoms most frequently improved by this agent . Three of those found to be nonresponders actually worsened in symptomatology . A follow-up interview of the parents was conducted 3 - 14 months after discharge from the inpatient unit , for those children who initially responded to trazodone administration . The results of this interview suggest that the effect of trazodone was persistent for a prolonged period of time after the initial inpatient trial . Trazodone appears to be of value in the management of  severe behavioral disturbances in children . The possible mechanism of action of trazodone is discussed
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 .