Journal of child and adolescent psychopharmacology
-
J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol · Apr 2019
Meta AnalysisAtypical Antipsychotics for Irritability in Pediatric Autism: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.
Irritability is common in pediatric autism spectrum disorder (ASD) patients. This can have major implications in child development, receptivity to behavioral therapy, as well as child and caregiver well-being. A systematic review and network meta-analysis were conducted to assess the efficacy and safety of atypical antipsychotics in treating irritability in these patients. ⋯ Risperidone and aripiprazole were the two best drugs, with comparable efficacy and safety in pediatric ASD patients. These two medications could be beneficial in improving irritability in these patients.
-
J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol · Sep 2016
ReviewTranscranial Direct Current Stimulation in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a noninvasive brain stimulation technique that consists of applying a weak electric current over the scalp to modulate cortical excitability. tDCS has been extensively investigated in adults with psychiatric disorders. The aim of this study was to review the current literature regarding the use of tDCS in children and adolescents with psychiatric disorders. ⋯ Preliminary research suggests that tDCS may be well tolerated and safe for children and adolescents with psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders. Nevertheless, because the literature regarding tDCS in child and adolescent psychiatry is scarce and there exist limited numbers of randomized controlled trials, it is not possible to draw definite conclusions. Future studies should investigate the technique with regard to specific psychiatric conditions in comparison with standard treatments. In addition, long-term efficacy and safety should be monitored.
-
J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol · Mar 2014
ReviewOxytocin and autism: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.
Little is known about the effectiveness of pharmacological interventions on autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This is a systematic review of the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of oxytocin interventions in autism, made from January 1990 to September 2013. ⋯ RCTs of oxytocin interventions in autism yielded potentially promising findings in measures of emotion recognition and eye gaze, which are impaired early in the course of the ASD condition and might disrupt social skills learning in developing children. There is a need for larger, more methodologically rigorous RCTs in this area. Future studies should be better powered to estimate outcomes with medium to low effect size, and should try to enroll female participants, who were rarely considered in previous studies. Risk of bias should be minimized. Human long-term administration studies are necessary before clinical recommendations can be made.
-
J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol · Mar 2014
ReviewOxytocin and autism: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.
Little is known about the effectiveness of pharmacological interventions on autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This is a systematic review of the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of oxytocin interventions in autism, made from January 1990 to September 2013. ⋯ RCTs of oxytocin interventions in autism yielded potentially promising findings in measures of emotion recognition and eye gaze, which are impaired early in the course of the ASD condition and might disrupt social skills learning in developing children. There is a need for larger, more methodologically rigorous RCTs in this area. Future studies should be better powered to estimate outcomes with medium to low effect size, and should try to enroll female participants, who were rarely considered in previous studies. Risk of bias should be minimized. Human long-term administration studies are necessary before clinical recommendations can be made.
-
J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol · Jun 2013
ReviewA review of the rationale and clinical utilization of α2-adrenoceptor agonists for the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity and related disorders.
Interest in the potential role for the α2-adrenoceptor agonists clonidine and guanfacine as treatments for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has driven additional clinical studies as well as development of new formulations of these agents. This article reviews the published data that supported United States Food and Drug Administration approval and subsequent clinical use of α2-adrenoceptor agonists in the treatment of ADHD, and identifies promising directions for future research. ⋯ Large, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials support the efficacy and safety of α2-adrenoceptor agonists as monotherapy and adjunctive therapy with psychostimulants for the symptomatic treatment of ADHD. Future research could reveal whether there are cognitive benefits associated with this drug class and thus further define the role of α2-adrenoceptor agonists in the treatment of ADHD.