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 .
Behavioral efficacy of haloperidol and lithium carbonate. A comparison in hospitalized aggressive children with conduct disorder.
The efficacy and safety of haloperidol , lithium carbonate , and placebo were critically assessed in 61 treatment-resistant , hospitalized children aged 5.2 to 12.9 years with diagnoses of conduct disorder , aggressive type . In this double-blind and well-controlled study , the optimal dosages of haloperidol ranged from 1.0 to 6.0 mg/day and those of lithium carbonate from 500 to 2,000 mg/day . For the assessment of behavioral changes and untoward effects , various rating scales were used in different setting s. Both haloperidol and lithium carbonate were found to be significantly superior to placebo in decreasing behavioral symptoms . Although both medications were clinical ly effective , haloperidol was associated more often with untoward effects than was lithium carbonate
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 .