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Handwriting Analysis Indicates Spontaneous Dyskinesias in Neuroleptic Naïve Adolescents at High Risk for Psychosis
Published on: November 21, 2013
Use of antipsychotics in children and adolescents
Robert L Findling1, Hans Steiner, Elizabeth B Weller
1Department of Psychiatry, University Hospitals of Cleveland, Cleveland, Ohio 44106-5080, USA. robert.findling@uhhs.com
Abstract:
The comparable efficacy and improved safety of the atypical antipsychotics compared with the traditional antipsychotic agents in the treatment of schizophrenia and other disorders in adults have prompted the use of these agents in children and adolescents. The atypical antipsychotics are increasingly being used in children and adolescents with a variety of different psychiatric diagnoses, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, autism/pervasive developmental disorders, conduct disorder, depression, anxiety disorders, tic disorders, delirium, and eating disorders. Unfortunately, clinical use of these agents in pediatric patients has far exceeded the limited evidence from randomized controlled trials. This article reviews the available evidence from the published literature on the use of the atypical antipsychotics in children and adolescents with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and maladaptive aggression associated with autism/pervasive developmental disorders and conduct disorder/disruptive behavior disorders.
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