Child Behavior Disorders, Learning Disorders
Conditions
Keywords
learning disorder, children, behaviour disorder, risperidone
Brief summary
The purpose of this study is to assess whether risperidone (an antipsychotic medication) is safe and effective in treating behaviour disorder in learning disabled children, which does not improve with psychological therapy.
Detailed description
There is a high incidence of behaviour disorder in people who are learning disabled. The purpose of this study is to assess whether risperidone is safe and effective in the treatment of learning disabled children diagnosed with behaviour disorder, which does not improve with psychological therapy. If the learning disability is very severe, or the behaviour disorder is very severe, such therapy is not appropriate and thus is not attempted; these patients are nevertheless eligible to participate in the study. At the beginning of treatment, the dose of risperidone is titrated, by gradual increase from 0.25 mg/day up to a maximum of 4 mg/day, based on therapeutic response, with decreases allowed in case of adverse reactions. Patients will be assessed over six months. The primary measure of effectiveness is the change compared to baseline in the total score on the Aberrant Behaviour Checklist (ABC). The EPSS is used to monitor the appearance of extrapyramidal symptoms. Based on results from other studies and the differences observed as a result of treatment, the investigator and his team expect to be able to detect a statistically and clinically significant result if data are available for 15 evaluable patients. Twenty patients will be recruited, taking account of possible drop outs. 0.25 mg of risperidone per day, taken orally, up to a maximum daily dose of 4 mg/day, for a treatment period of 6 months.
Interventions
DRUGrisperidone
Sponsors
Janssen-Cilag Ltd.
Study design
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
5 Years to 16 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* DSM-IV Axis II diagnosis of mental retardation * behavioural and family therapy tried for 6 months but has failed * in school, at least part time * score of \>=8 on hostility scale * subject is otherwise healthy
Exclusion criteria
* Patients with a seizure disorder requiring repeated change of medication * extrapyramidal symptoms not well controlled by medication * abnormal and clinically significant electrocardiogram (ECG) changes * history of tardive dyskinesia (a condition of uncontrollable movements of the tongue, lips, face, trunk, hands and feet that is seen in patients receiving long-term medication with certain types of antipsychotic drugs), or neuroleptic malignant syndrome (a rare condition in patients receiving antipsychotic medication in which patients may develop fever, sweating, unstable blood pressure, rigid muscles, and other symptoms, including changes in their normal mental state) * known hypersensitivity to antipsychotic medications, including risperidone.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Change compared to baseline in total score of the Aberrant Behaviour Checklist (ABC) | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Changes compared to baseline of Aberrant Behaviour Checklist (ABC) subclasses; hostility checklist; Clinical Global Impression (CGI) of severity; child quality of life rating scale | — |
Outcome results
None listed