Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry · May 1993
Treatment of aggressive children with clonidine: results of an open pilot study.
Seventeen aggressive children (14 boys and 3 girls) aged 5 to 15 years, who were characterized by cruel behavior to others and destruction of property, entered an open pilot study using clonidine to evaluate its efficacy and safety and drug-induced changes in plasma gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA). Aggression decreased in 15 children with minimal side effects. ⋯ These findings suggest that GABA may be correlated with childhood aggressiveness and may be a useful marker of drug compliance. Pharmacotherapy with clonidine should be further assessed for the control of aggression.