James T McCracken, James McGough, Bhavik Shah, Pegeen Cronin, Daniel Hong, Michael G Aman, L Eugene Arnold, Ronald Lindsay, Patricia Nash, Jill Hollway, Christopher J McDougle, David Posey, Naomi Swiezy, Arlene Kohn, Lawrence Scahill, Andres Martin, Kathleen Koenig, Fred Volkmar, Deirdre Carroll, Allison Lancor, Elaine Tierney, Jaswinder Ghuman, Nilda M Gonzalez, Marco Grados, Benedetto Vitiello, Louise Ritz, Mark Davies, James Robinson, Don McMahon
BACKGROUND: Atypical antipsychotic agents, which block postsynaptic dopamine and serotonin receptors, have advantages over traditional antipsychotic medications in the treatment of adults with schizophrenia and may be beneficial in children with autistic disorder who have serious behavioral disturbances. However, data on the safety and efficacy of atypical antipsychotic agents in children are limited. METHODS: We conducted a multisite, randomized, double-blind trial of risperidone as compared with placebo for the treatment of autistic disorder accompanied by severe tantrums, aggression, or self-injurious behavior in children 5 to 17 years old...
August 1, 2002: New England Journal of Medicine