title: Risperidone Added to Psychostimulant in Children with Severe Aggression and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Lack of Effect on Attention and Short-Term Memory.
abstract: Professionals have periodically expressed concern that atypical antipsychotics may cause cognitive blunting in treated patients. In this study, we report data from a double-blind, randomized, controlled study of stimulant plus placebo versus combined stimulant and risperidone to evaluate the effects of the atypical antipsychotic on attention and short-term memory.
  
  
  
  A total of 165 (n = 83 combined treatment; n = 82 stimulant plus placebo) children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and severe physical aggression, aged 6-12 years, were evaluated with Conners' Continuous Performance Test (CPT-II) and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-III (WISC) Digit Span subscale at baseline, after 3 weeks of stimulant-only treatment, and after six additional weeks of randomized treatment (stimulant+placebo vs. stimulant+risperidone).
  
  
  
  At 3 weeks, improvement on CPT-II performance (Commissions and Reaction Time Standard Error; p < 0.001) and on Digit Span memory performance (p < 0.006) was noted for the full sample. At study week 9, no difference in CPT-II or Digit Span performance was observed between the randomized groups (ps = 0.41 to 0.83).
  
  
  
  Similar to other studies, we found no deleterious effects on attention and short-term memory associated with short-term use of risperidone. NCT00796302.
authors.affiliation: 1 Nisonger Center, Ohio State University , Columbus, Ohio.
authors.forename: Cristan A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Farmer
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati , Cincinnati, Ohio.
authors.forename: Jeffery N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Epstein
authors.affiliation: 3 Department of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University , Cleveland, Ohio.
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Findling
authors.affiliation: 4 Department of Psychiatry, Stony Brook University , Stony Brook, New York.
authors.forename: Kenneth D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Gadow
authors.affiliation: 1 Nisonger Center, Ohio State University , Columbus, Ohio.
authors.forename: L Eugene
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Arnold
authors.affiliation: 5 Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kipp
authors.affiliation: 5 Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Kolko
authors.affiliation: 1 Nisonger Center, Ohio State University , Columbus, Ohio.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Butter
authors.affiliation: 4 Department of Psychiatry, Stony Brook University , Stony Brook, New York.
authors.forename: Jayne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.affiliation: 5 Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Oscar G
authors.initials: OG
authors.lastname: Bukstein
authors.affiliation: 3 Department of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University , Cleveland, Ohio.
authors.forename: Nora K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: McNamara
authors.affiliation: 5 Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Brooke S G
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Molina
authors.affiliation: 1 Nisonger Center, Ohio State University , Columbus, Ohio.
authors.forename: Michael G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Aman
mesh_terms: D000374:Aggression / Q000187:drug effects*; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000187:drug effects; D018967:Risperidone / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D018967:Risperidone
keywords: CNS stimulants; Risperidone; attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; conduct disorder; oppositional defiant disorder