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 .
Diphenylhydantoin in children with severe temper tantrums.
THE CONCEPT of minimal brain dysfunction ( MBD ) was developed to account for a variety of obscure behavioral abnormalities often considered purely functional in nature . 1 - 4 In a recent review of the subject Pincus and Glaser 2 describe the motor , perceptual , and behavioral characteristics that comprise the MBD syndrome . They state that MBD is a " behavioral diagnosis . " The children afflicted show  " inappropriate activity  , " "  disordered attention span  , " " poorly controlled behavior  , " "  impulsiveness with destructive elements , " " hyperkinesis , " " outbursts of aggression , temper tantrums , sexual displays . " There may be motor , perceptual , reading , and writing impairment , as well as poor ability at copying complex Gestalten . 5 - 7 There is often a history of delayed developmental milestones as well as organic cerebral trauma due to complications of pregnancy , traumatic birth , head trauma , or intracerebral infection after birth . Abnormal behavior such as violent aggressiveness or lack of attention at school may thus be seen as due , in part , to
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 .