[Clinical characteristics and pharmacotherapy of extremely disruptive behavior disorders in people with mental retardation]

People with mental retardation often have behavioral problems. Psychotropic medications are used for the treatment of extremely disruptive behavior disorders in many cases. We surveyed the clinical characteristics and the current status of the pharmacotherapy regimens for inpatients with severe intellectual disabilities and behavior disorders at 8 national psychiatric hospitals. Many of them were men between 20 and 40 years and more than half of them had both extremely mental retardation and high motor ability. Antipsychotic drugs and anticonvulsants were frequently used. As they had more severe behavior disorder, they were taken the more psychotropic drugs. Autism was significantly associated and rough behavior was apparently associated with higher doses. A very weak correlation between the total score of extremely disruptive behavior disorders and the number of psychotropic drugs being administered per patient was seen. Use of new medicines, such as atypical antipsychotic drugs, was found about fifteen percent of the cases. In order to establish useful pharmacotherapy regimens for people with severe mental retardation and behavior disorders, it is necessary to perform routine judgment and evaluation of the pharmacotherapy focusing on targeted symptoms. We should also be attention to the quality of life issue. The aim of medical treatment should not be care workers' convenience, but be the improvement of quality of life of patients.