The Journal of clinical psychiatry
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
A randomized controlled trial of risperidone in the treatment of aggression in hospitalized adolescents with subaverage cognitive abilities.
Risperidone is an atypical antipsychotic drug that blocks dopamine as well as serotonin receptor systems. The present study was designed to examine the efficacy and safety of risperidone in a 6-week double-blind, randomized, parallel-group design in the treatment of aggression in adolescents with a primary diagnosis of DSM-IV disruptive behavior disorders and with subaverage intelligence. ⋯ These results suggest that risperidone may be effective for severe aggression in adolescents with disruptive behavior disorders and subaverage intelligence, and these results are consistent with reports suggesting its effectiveness for treating severe aggression in adolescents in general.
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Comparative Study
Risperidone liquid concentrate and oral lorazepam versus intramuscular haloperidol and intramuscular lorazepam for treatment of psychotic agitation.
Although agitation associated with psychosis is a common presentation in the psychiatric emergency service, there is no consensus concerning the best treatment. Standard treatment often consists of intramuscular (i.m.) injection of high-potency neuroleptics, sometimes combined with benzodiazepines. The objective of this study was to determine the relative efficacy, safety, and tolerability of oral risperidone versus intramuscular haloperidol, both in combination with lorazepam, for the emergency treatment of psychotic agitation in patients who are able to accept oral medications. ⋯ Oral treatment with risperidone and lorazepam appears to be a tolerable and comparable alternative to intramuscular haloperidol and lorazepam for short-term treatment of agitated psychosis in patients who accept oral medications.
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Review Comparative Study
Risperidone for the treatment of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia.
Risperidone offers physicians the unique combination of extensive, published clinical experience and a good safety profile for treating patients with dementia who have symptoms of aggression, agitation, and psychosis. Numerous open-label and, more recently, placebo-controlled trials have documented the efficacy of risperidone in the management of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. These trials also show that risperidone is better tolerated than conventional neuroleptic agents. Comparatively, patients treated with risperidone experience substantially fewer side effects, including extrapyramidal symptoms, cognitive toxicity, and tardive dyskinesia.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Melatonin in medically ill patients with insomnia: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
It has been suggested that melatonin improves sleep functioning, but this possibility has not been studied in medical populations. ⋯ Melatonin may be a useful hypnotic for medically ill patients with initial insomnia, particularly those for whom conventional hypnotic drug therapy may be problematic.