Risperidone treatment in 12 children with developmental disorders and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Risperidone is a novel antipsychotic drug that has been tried in the treatment of several child psychiatric disorders. In an open clinical study, we evaluated the safety and efficacy of risperidone in children with developmental disorder and behavioral problems including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Twelve patients aged 4 to 14 years who had a DSM-IV-diagnosed developmental disorder and ADHD in addition to other behavioral problems, in particular aggression, were treated with risperidone for a period of up to 2 years with daily doses ranging from 1 to 3 mg. Data were gathered from December 2002 to December 2004.

A positive clinical response was noted in 9 of the 12 patients within 3 months of study recruitment according to the Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement scale. Risperidone was well tolerated by all 12 patients. The most commonly reported side effect was sedation, which necessitated dosage reduction in 2 patients, but not discontinuation.

Our findings suggest that risperidone may be an effective and safe treatment for children and adolescents with developmental disorder and disruptive behaviors.