PMID: 15367046Sep 16, 2004Paper

Treatment of behavior disorders in mental retardation: report on transitioning to atypical antipsychotics, with an emphasis on risperidone

The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
Michael G AmanSpecial Topic Advisory Panel on Transitioning to Risperidone Therapy in Patients With Mental Retardation and Developmental D

Abstract

Mental illnesses are more common in people with mental retardation and developmental disabilities than in the general population. Due to the difficulty of making specific psychiatric diagnoses in these patients, the target of medication is often a behavioral symptom. For many symptoms, antipsychotic medications are effective, but the serious side effect profile of conventional antipsychotics renders their use problematic. Recent findings concerning the safety and efficacy of atypical antipsychotics for control of certain disruptive behaviors in adults and children led a Special Topic Advisory Panel to draw up guidelines for transitioning patients with specific symptoms from classical antipsychotics to risperidone and, by extrapolation, to other atypical agents. Participants were chosen by Janssen Pharmaceutica, based on individual achievements and lifetime experience. The Special Topic Advisory Panel on Transitioning to Risperidone Therapy in Patients With Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities comprised academic clinicians with at least 10 years' experience in the field of mental retardation and developmental disabilities. It included a clinical pharmacist, consultant pharmacists, a certified developmental disabilit...Continue Reading

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