Risperdal May Help Autistic Children
August 1, 2002
A new study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine reveals that the antipsychotic drug Risperdal may be beneficial to children with autism. Researchers with the Yale Child Study Center tested the medication on 101 autistic children diagnosed with aggressive behavior and severe temper tantrums. By the end of the eight-week test, nearly 70 percent of the children responded positively to Risperdal, compared to only 12 percent given a placebo.
According to researchers, the drug continued to be effective for over six months in children who had improved during the test period. Doctors say the results are extremely encouraging because older psychiatric drugs caused sometimes-damaging side effects. Health officials say researchers should use the study's results as a reason to conduct more research on curing and treating autism.
-- Article Courtesy of InjuryBoard.com
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