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 .
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of risperidone maintenance treatment in children and adolescents with disruptive behavior disorders.
OBJECTIVE The authors compared the effects of maintenance versus withdrawal of risperidone treatment in children and adolescents with symptoms of disruptive behavior disorder . METHOD Patients with disruptive behavior disorder ( 5 - 17 years of age and a range of intellect ) who had responded to risperidone treatment over 12 weeks were r and omly assigned to 6 months of double-blind treatment with either risperidone or placebo . The primary efficacy measure was time to symptom recurrence , defined as sustained deterioration on either the Clinical Global Impression severity rating ( /2 points ) or the conduct problem subscale of the Nisonger Child Behavior Rating Form ( /7 points ) . Secondary efficacy measures included rates of discontinuation due to symptom recurrence , disruptive behavior disorder symptoms , and general function . Safety and tolerability were also assessed . Risperidone dosage was based on weight ( patients < 50 kg : 0.25 - 0.75 mg/day ; patients /50 kg : 0.5 - 1.5 mg/day ) . RESULTS Treatment was initiated in 527 patients , with 335 r and omly assigned to a double-blind maintenance condition . Time to symptom recurrence was significantly longer in patients who continued risperidone treatment than in those switched to placebo .  Symptom recurrence in 25 % of patients occurred after 119 days with risperidone and 37 days with placebo . Secondary efficacy measures also favored risperidone over placebo .  Weight increased over the initial 12 weeks of treatment ( mean weight z score change=0.2 , SD=2.7 , N=511 ) , after which it plateaued . CONCLUSIONS This study is the first placebo-controlled maintenance versus withdrawal trial of its kind in disruptive behavior disorder and provides evidence that patients who respond to initial treatment with risperidone  would benefit from continuous treatment over the longer term
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 .