A Prospective Study of Risperdal (Risperidone) for the Treatment of Behavioral Disorder Following Psychological Therapy for Challenging Behavior in Learning Disabled Children

Janssen (J&J Innovative Medicine)

Status and phase

Completed

Phase 3

Conditions

Learning Disorders

Child Behavior Disorders

Treatments

Drug: risperidone

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Industry

Identifiers

NCT00254930

CR005797

Details and patient eligibility

About

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.

Full 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.

Enrollment

19 patients

Sex

All

Ages

5 to 16 years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

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.