Psychopharmacological interventions in fragile X syndrome, fetal alcohol syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, Angelman syndrome, Smith-Magenis syndrome, and velocardiofacial syndrome

Treatment effects of stimulant medication in young boys with fragile X syndrome

“…Preliminary evidence from our current study and existing work contribute information towards the development of a psychopharmacological phenotype for FXS based on the supposition that specific gene dysfunction may lead to specific neuroanatomical and neurochemical changes (Hagerman 1999 ). Specifically, we report a response rate of 70–75% in attention, academic performance and arousal regulation, a high concordance across multiple measures, and a significant gain in performance as treatment outcomes of stimulant medication in our sample of boys with FXS.…”

“…While preliminary, our findings and others suggest that stimulant medication treatment outcomes in FXS may be unique in terms of a higher response rate, greater magnitude of response, and greater concordance among measures compared to outcomes for children with autism spectrum disorder and non-specific intellectual disabilities. While replication is needed, these findings contribute to the development of a psychopharmacological phenotype for FXS that could help guide treatment efforts (Hagerman 1999 ).…”

The utility of psychotropic drugs on patients with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD): a systematic review

“…The exact mechanisms leading to neuronal damage by alcohol during fetal life have not been fully elucidated, and many proposed mechanisms have been suggested based on experimental models [2]. It is well understood that alcohol commonly impairs the development of the dopaminergic, noradrenergic, serotonergic, cholinergic, glutamatergic, and histaminergic systems [6]. The dopamine D1 receptors of the meso-cortical system is the most impaired of the dopaminergic receptors [9].…”

“…Secondgeneration antipsychotics, which for the most part are serotonin-dopamine receptor antagonists, also possess anti-adrenergic and anti-histaminergic properties. These agents were used in the treatment of complications of seizure disorders associated with FASD [34], as adjunct therapy for Conduct Disorder [36], for disruptive behaviour in children with low IQ [5], and for secondary disabilities associated with FASD [6,18]. The most common antipsychotic drug used in children with FASD is Risperidone, which in some research has demonstrated strong benefits in the treatment of short-term aggressiveness [18].…”

“…Here, the choice of medication should be based on the most relevant diagnosis causing functional impairment or targeting two co-existing diagnoses [18]. ADHD symptoms which occur more in childhood can be treated with a stimulant such as Adderall or Dexedrine [6].…”