title: Treatment of aggressive behavior problems in boys with intellectual disabilities using zuclopenthixol.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Disruptive or challenging behavior problems pose a threat to children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities and their caregivers. Psychopharmacological treatment is mostly studied with new-generation antipsychotics and has been criticized for adverse side effects. This study examined the effect of the classic antipsychotic zuclopenthixol.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 39 boys (ages 8.0-17.11 years) with learning disabilities were included and examined for a response to zuclopenthixol during a 6 week period of open label treatment. Doses started low and were adapted individually. From responders, zuclopenthixol was randomly withdrawn for 12 weeks. Responses to withdrawal were observed by external raters using the Modified Overt Aggression Scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of all patients included into the study, 15 were not randomized because of insufficient therapeutic effect, adverse event, or noncompliance. Kaplan-Meier estimations showed less aggressive behavior problems for the continuing subgroup (n=9) than in the placebo group (n=15). Individual doses stayed <10 mg/day.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Zuclopenthixol proved to be effective in reducing challenging behavior in boys even at low doses.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Medicine of Rostock , Rostock, Germany .
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hässler
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dück
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Olaf
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Reis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000374:Aggression / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000523:psychology; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D003006:Clopenthixol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D003006:Clopenthixol