Pharmacotherapy of disruptive behaviours in children and adolescents with or without mental retardation

The quoted prevalence of disruptive behaviour among children and adolescents varies widely between 4 and 9 percent. Disruptive behaviour as well as self-injurious behaviour occurs in 12 to 36 percent of individuals with mental retardation who reside in institutionol settings. The principles of treatment are the some as for persons without mental retardation, but modification of techniques may be necessary according to the individual patient's developmental level, and especially communication skills. Psychopharmacologicol, psychotherapeutic and educational interventions should be coordinated within an overall treatment. There is some evidence that the conventional antipsychotic zuclopenthixol has any positive effect on destructive behaviour. Few studies have described the succesfull use of the atypical antipsychotic risperidone to control severe self-injurious behaviour and other behaviour problems in a variety of diagnoses. Anti-convulsants, antidepressants and anxiolytic medications may also find an important place in the treatment of some individuals with disruptive behaviour. Stimulants alone or in combination with a typical neuroleptics are also effective for aggression related behaviour. Both conventional and atypical neuroleptics effectively influence aggressive disruptive behaviour in children and adolescents with or without subaverage intelligence.