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Risperidone in the management of agitation and aggression associated with psychiatric disorders

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

Peter Paul De Deyn  and
Jan Buitelaar
Peter Paul De Deyn*
Affiliation:
Department of Neurology, Middelheim Hospital and Laboratory of Neurochemistry and Behavior, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Born Bunge Foundation, University of Antwerp (UA), Universiteitsplein 1, 2610Antwerp (Wilrijk), Belgium
Jan Buitelaar
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Academic Center for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Medical Center, St Radboud, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
*
*Corresponding author. E-mail address:dedeyn@skynet.be (P.P. De Deyn).
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Abstract

Objective

This review provides an overview of the prevalence and treatment of agitation and aggression, and focuses on the use of risperidone to treat these symptoms in patients from different age groups.

Methods

MEDLINE® and EMBASE® databases were used to identify controlled studies of risperidone in the treatment of disruptive behavior disorders and pervasive developmental disorders in pediatric patients, acute agitation or aggression in adults, and psychological and behavioral symptoms of dementia in the elderly. Additionally, key open-label, long-term trials assessing the efficacy and safety of risperidone were considered.

Results

The results of the 19 double-blind studies identified showed that risperidone is effective in treating agitation and aggression in the different populations, regardless of age. The safety and tolerability of risperidone appear to be good overall but certain safety issues, such as a higher risk of cerebrovascular adverse events in the elderly with dementia, were highlighted.

Conclusions

Risperidone is useful for treating aggression and agitation associated with various psychiatric disorders in patients from different age groups.

Keywords

RisperidoneAgitationAggressionPediatricGeriatricAdult

Information

Type
Review
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 21 , Issue 1 , January 2006 , pp. 21 - 28
Copyright
Copyright © Elsevier SAS 2006

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