Adverse Effects of Risperidone in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders in a Naturalistic Clinical Setting at Siriraj Hospital, Thailand

Abstract

A cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate adverse effects associated with risperidone in 45 children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), aged 2–15 years, who were treated at Siriraj Hospital, Thailand, between the years 2006 and 2007. Adverse effects were assessed by parent interview, using a semistructure questionnaire, and medical records review. The mean ± SD age of the children at starting risperidone was 8.15 ± 2.98 years. The mean ± SD of risperidone dose was 0.94 ± 0.74 mg/day and the mean ± SD duration of treatment was 36.8 ± 27.8 months. Adverse effects were reported in 39 children (86.7%). Common adverse effects included increased appetite, somnolence, and rhinorrhea and most of the adverse effects were tolerable. Tardive dyskinesia or other serious adverse events were not found in this study. The child's mean ± SD weight gain was 4.18 ± 2.82 kg/year, which exceeded developmentally expected norms. The results from this study suggest that risperidone treatment in children with ASD is associated with frequent mild and tolerable adverse effects. However, excessive weight gain could be found to be a concerning adverse effect and weight monitoring is warranted when risperidone is being prescribed.

Safety and Tolerability of Antipsychotic Medication in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…Masi G, et al (2003) [41] Corson A H, et al (2004) [42] Masi G, et al (2009) [43] Beherec L, et al (2011) [44] Boon-Y V, et al (2014) [45] Wink L K, et al (2014) [46] Aman M, et al (2015) [47] Methods for selecting study participants (i.e.…”

Risperidone or Aripiprazole Can Resolve Autism Core Signs and Symptoms in Young Children: Case Study

“…ASD is currently considered a non-curable disorder [ 1 ], and no registered clinical trial of risperidone or aripiprazole has provided evidence for their use in treating the core ASD signs and symptoms in children, even though there have been many studies on their use in children aged 5–18 years for the treatment of comorbid challenging behaviors [ 11 , 20 ]. For risperidone, there have also been several reports of the treatment of children with ASD under the age of 4 years [ 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 ]. Importantly, some of these studies have noted improvements in not only comorbid challenging behaviors but also social relatedness, restricted and repetitive behaviors, and levels of cooperation with developmental activities.…”

Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Autism Spectrum Disorder

“…Use of pharmacological medications (such as risperidone or aripiprazole) [ 5 , 6 ] is usually limited to treating behavioral symptoms of the disorder like irritability or aggressiveness. Unfortunately, despite the dramatic effect sizes for these problem behaviors, the pharmacological approach to core symptoms has led to inconclusive results and is sometimes burdened by severe adverse events [ 7 ]. Families of children with autism are usually worried by potential drug side effects and are continuously looking for treatments which are more secure.…”