Research: Aripiprazole Use in Individuals with Intellectual Disability and Psychotic or Behavioral Disorders: A Case Series

Authored by Shastri, M., Alla L., and Sabaratnam M. in Journal of Psychopharmacology, Volume 20, Issue 6, p. 863-867, (2006).

Article summary (posted Mar 1, 2007):

Aripiprazole treatment may help to decrease violence and increase physical activity in people with autism.

The authors of this paper define challenging behavior as "behavior of such intensity, frequency, or duration that the physical safety of the person or others is likely to be placed in serious jeopardy." The paper describes the effects of aripiprazole therapy on challenging behavior in five people, one of whom has autism. The patient with autism was a 38-year-old Afro-Caribbean man with severe intellectual disabilities. Before starting the study, he was given risperidone (3 mg twice daily) and chlorpromazine (100 mg three times a day) and had gained 150 pounds in 2 years. During the study he was given aripiprazole (15 mg/day) and gradually taken off of risperidone. He was less violent and more alert on aripiprazole, and he lost about 30 pounds in two years.

Links:

You can access the original abstract and the complete paper is sometimes available for free via Google Scholar (look for entries that say "PDF" or "HTML" on the right side of the page).
Abilify (aripiprazole), autism, chlorpromazine, physical activity, problem behavior, psychotic, Risperdal (risperidone), safety, therapy, Thorazine (chlorpromazine), treatment
Share |