title: Low-dose risperidone as adjunctive therapy for irritable aggression in posttraumatic stress disorder.
abstract: Increased aggressive behavior can occur in association with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study tested the hypothesis that low-dose risperidone reduces aggression and other PTSD-related symptoms in combat veterans. Subjects were male combat veterans with PTSD who scored 20 or higher on cluster D (hyperarousal) of the Patient Checklist for PTSD-Military Version (PCL-M). Subjects were randomly assigned to either risperidone or placebo treatment groups. Drugs were administered over a 6-week treatment period in a double-blind manner. Subjects received either risperidone (0.5 mg/day; n = 7) or matched placebo (n = 8) tablets during the first 2 weeks of the treatment period. The dose of risperidone could then be increased up to 2.0 mg/day on the basis of response. Prerandomization psychotropic regimens were continued. Subjects were evaluated with the PCL-M and the Overt Aggression Scale-Modified for Outpatients (OAS-M). In comparison with placebo treatment, reductions in scores between baseline and the last week of treatment were significantly greater for OAS-M irritability and PCL-M cluster B (intrusive thoughts) subscales and on the PCL-M total scale. These results suggest that low-dose risperidone administration reduces irritability and intrusive thoughts in combat-related PTSD.
authors.affiliation: Division of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston Massachusetts 02118, USA.
authors.forename: Edward P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Monnelly
authors.forename: Domenic A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Ciraulo
authors.forename: Clifford
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Knapp
authors.forename: Terence
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Keane
mesh_terms: D000374:Aggression / Q000187:drug effects*; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D007508:Irritable Mood / Q000187:drug effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D018967:Risperidone / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014728:Veterans
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D018967:Risperidone