Efficacy of Chlorpromazine in Hyperactive Mentally Retarded Children

The following study, investigating the effect of chlorpromazine (Thorazine) on hyperactive mentally retarded children, was made at the Parsons State Training School, Parsons, Kan. The subjects selected for the study represented, in the opinion of the entire staff, the 10 most hyperactive students at the Training School. Their behavior was characterized by temper tantrums, boisterousness, fighting, overactive antics, and sometimes destructiveness to property. These students could not seem to make the minimum adjustment to their classroom tasks, their job placements, or their cottage life. A control group of 10 students was also selected and matched with the experimental group according to age, sex, and I. Q. The subjects in each group consisted of seven male students and three female students. The ages ranged from 7 years 7 months to 20 years 3 months, for the experimental group, with a mean of 13 years 2 months. The control group's age range