Open-Label Treatment with Risperidone of 26 Psychiatrically-Hospitalized Children and Adolescents with Mixed Diagnoses and Aggressive Behavior

Open-label risperidone was administered to 26 subjects (24 boys: 19 with borderline IQ and 5 with mild mental retardation), 10–18 years old, who were hospitalized for treatment of psychiatric disorders associated with aggressive behavior. Risperidone was given in daily doses ranging from 0.5 to 4 mg for periods of 2–12 months. Treatment response was monitored by means of the improvement scale of the CGI and the modified OAS. Extrapyramidal side effects were measured on the ESRS. Fourteen (54%) of 26 subjects had a marked reduction in aggression; 10 subjects had a moderate reduction; two subjects had mild changes; and none worsened. Two subjects had a marked weight gain in the first 8 weeks of treatment. In seven of the 22 children who continued taking risperidone after week 8, tiredness and sedation that necessitated dose reduction emerged between weeks 8 and 16. These results suggest that risperidone may be useful when treating severe aggressive behavior in children and adolescents. Weight gain and sedation can be troublesome side effects.