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 controlled trial of risperidone in the treatment of aggression in hospitalized adolescents with subaverage cognitive abilities.
BACKGROUND Risperidone is an atypical antipsychotic drug that blocks dopamine as well as serotonin receptor systems . The present study was design ed to examine the efficacy and safety of risperidone in a 6-week double-blind , r and omized , parallel-group design in the treatment of aggression in adolescents with a primary diagnosis of DSM-IV disruptive behavior disorders and with subaverage intelligence . METHOD We r and omly assigned 38 adolescents ( 33 boys ; 10 subjects with slightly subaverage IQ , 14 with borderline IQ , and 14 with mild mental retardation ) , who were hospitalized for treatment of psychiatric disorders associated with severe aggression , to receive  risperidone or placebo . The main efficacy measures were the Clinical Global Impressions-Severity of Illness scale ( CGI-S ) , the modified Overt Aggression Scale ( OAS-M ) , and the Aberrant Behavior Checklist ( ABC ) . Side effects were measured using the Extrapyramidal Symptom Rating Scale ( ESRS ) . RESULTS The mean daily dose of risperidone at the end of treatment was 2.9 mg ( range , 1.5 - 4 mg ) . Risperidone , compared with placebo , was associated with significant improvements on the CGI-S ( p < .001 ) and the at-school ABC overall and hyperactivity scales ( p < .05 ) . During a 2-week washout following the 6-week trial , a statistically significant worsening was found in the risperidone group on the CGI-S scale , the OAS-M. and the ABC . Extrapyramidal symptoms were absent or very mild during risperidone treatment . Transient tiredness was present in 11 ( 58 % ) of 19 drug-treated subjects . Other untoward effects included sialorrhea , nausea , and slight weight gain ( mean = 3.5 % of body weight in the risperidone group ) . No clinical ly relevant changes were found in laboratory parameters , electrocardiogram , heart rate , or blood pressure . CONCLUSION These results suggest that risperidone may be effective for severe aggression in adolescents with disruptive behavior disorders and subaverage intelligence , and these results are consistent with reports suggesting its effectiveness for treating severe aggression in adolescents in general
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 .