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 .
Cognitive effects of lithium carbonate and haloperidol in treatment-resistant aggressive children.
The effects of lithium carbonate and haloperidol on cognition were examined in a placebo-controlled , double-blind study of 61 treatment-resistant , hospitalized school-aged children . They all had a DSM-III diagnosis of conduct disorder-- undersocialized , aggressive , with a profile of highly explosive and aggressive behavior . Children were assessed at the end of a two-week placebo-baseline period and again after four weeks of treatment . Drug effects on cognition were mild . Haloperidol ( mean dose , 2.95 mg/day ) caused significant decreases in Porteus Maze test quotient scores and a slowing of reaction time ( RT ) on a simple RT task . Lithium carbonate ( mean dose , 1,166 mg/day ) adversely affected qualitative scores on the Porteus Maze test . No significant treatment effects were found for the Matching Familiar Figures Test , short-term recognition memory and concept attainment tasks , or the Stroop Test
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 .