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A drug used to treat schizophrenia
may also help alleviate the angry, often violent outbursts in autistic
children, according to researchers at Yale University. Nearly 70% of the
autistic children studied showed strong behavioral improvements with the
drug risperidone.
According to researchers, the
medication shows fewer side effects than some other antipsychotic medications,
making it an even more promising treatment for autistic children.
Behaviors that typify autism
in children include extreme introversion, delayed speech development,
and repetition. About 1 in 250 children are diagnosed with the condition,
usually in the first few years of life. More extreme traits of childhood
autism include regular outbursts of anger and violence - generally resulting
from a change in routine - such as throwing things, knocking things over
and excessive screaming.
Researchers estimate these
more serious behavioral problems occur in about 1/3 of autistic children;
the risperidone study was conducted on 101 children, aged 5 to 7, who
had this more serious form of autism.
Risperidone tended to reduce
tantrums from several times a day to several times a week. More than just
relieving parents, the researchers suggest that by reducing such behavior,
the drug will enable greater focus on and effectiveness of other treatment
methods.
NEJM
August 1, 2002;347:314-321
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