Risperidone in the management of agitation and aggression associated with psychiatric disorders

OBJECTIVE: This review provides an overview of the prevalence and treatment of agitation and aggression, and focuses on the use of risperidone to treat these symptoms in patients from different age groups. METHODS: MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were used to identify controlled studies of risperidone in the treatment of disruptive behavior disorders and pervasive developmental disorders in pediatric patients, acute agitation or aggression in adults, and psychological and behavioral symptoms of dementia in the elderly. Additionally, key open-label, long-term trials assessing the efficacy and safety of risperidone were considered. RESULTS: The results of the 19 double-blind studies identified showed that risperidone is effective in treating agitation and aggression in the different populations, regardless of age. The safety and tolerability of risperidone appear to be good overall but certain safety issues, such as a higher risk of cerebrovascular adverse events in the elderly with dementia, were highlighted. CONCLUSIONS: Risperidone is useful for treating aggression and agitation associated with various psychiatric disorders in patients from different age groups.