title: Risperidone in the treatment of autistic Thai children under 4 years of age.
abstract: The authors report five cases of very young children with autistic disorder, aged 2.1-3.7 years, treated with risperidone, as part of the comprehensive intervention. Treatment with risperidone 0.25-0.5 mg per day was associated with clinically meaningful decreases in problem behaviors including hyperactivity, irritability, and aggressiveness. There were also improvements in social relatedness and cooperation with developmental treatment. All of the children tolerated the medication well and experienced no untoward effects. The efficacy of risperidone in the treatment of very young children with autistic disorder reported here is consistent with findings in the limited number of cases previously reported in the literature. Controlled studies are needed to confirm the efficacy and safety of risperidone in the treatment of these children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: Vitharon
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Boon-Yasidhi
authors.forename: Jariya
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tarugsa
authors.forename: Chomyong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Suwanwattana
authors.forename: Ladda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Soising
mesh_terms: D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018492:Dopamine Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018967:Risperidone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013785:Thailand; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018492:Dopamine Antagonists; D018967:Risperidone