Citation

Hässler F, Dück A, Jung M, Reis O. J. Child Adolesc. Psychopharmacol. 2014; 24(10): 579-581.

Affiliation

1 Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Medicine of Rostock , Rostock, Germany .

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Mary Ann Liebert Publishers)

DOI

10.1089/cap.2014.0066

PMID

25514543

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 From responders, zuclopenthixol was randomly withdrawn for 12 weeks.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.

Language: en