Atypical antipsychotic medication improves aggression, but not self-injurious behaviour, in adults with intellectual disabilities

OBJECTIVE

Atypical antipsychotic medications have largely supplanted their typical counterparts, both for psychosis and for the treatment of aggression and/or self-injurious behaviour (SIB), in persons with intellectual disabilities (ID). However, with the exception of risperidone, little systematic research supports their use in such persons.

METHOD

A retrospective review of 31 adult residents of a state developmental centre, who were treated for aggression and/or SIB with atypical antipsychotics. Average monthly counts of aggression and SIB for 1 year of treatment with typical antipsychotics, were compared with monthly averages for the next 12 months of treatment with atypical antipsychotics.

RESULTS

Twenty-seven of 31 subjects (87%) completed a full year of atypical antipsychotic treatment. Subjects ranged in age from 24 to 54 years (mean = 39); 18/31 (58%) had profound ID. Twelve of 26 (46%) had typical antipsychotics discontinued within the year of atypical treatment; another 7/26 (27%) had their typical antipsychotic dose decreased. Twenty-three of 31 trials involved risperidone; 7/31 olanzapine; 1/31 quetiapine. Subjects gained an average of 6.6 pounds during the year of atypical treatment, but no significant changes in glucose or cholesterol were found. Subjects with aggression alone (N = 14) had significant decreases in the number of aggressive acts per month during the year of atypical treatment (P = 0.03); those with both aggression and self-injury (N = 12), or those with self-injury alone (N = 5) had no significant improvement.

CONCLUSION

The findings suggest that atypical antipsychotics can be successfully substituted for typical agents in individuals with ID and decrease the frequency of aggression over one year of treatment. The weight gain seen in our sample reinforces the necessity of regular monitoring of weight and metabolic changes in persons with ID treated with atypical antipsychotics.

A magnetic resonance imaging study of thalamic area in adolescent patients with either schizophrenia or bipolar disorder as compared to healthy controls

The purpose of this study was to compare thalamic size in adolescent patients with either schizophrenia or bipolar disorder and healthy controls. T2-weighted axial magnetic resonance images were used to manually define the area of the thalamus for 20 schizophrenia patients, 15 bipolar patients and 16 normal control subjects, all of whom were adolescents. Two orthogonal planned contrasts were tested: Contrast 1, patients with schizophrenia vs. patients with bipolar disorder; and Contrast 2, both patient groups taken as a single group compared to controls. Contrast 1 was not statistically significant for right or left thalamic area. Contrast 2 was statistically significant and indicated reductions in thalamic area in the patients as compared to controls. The same pattern of results emerged after adjustment for total brain volume. Our results indicate that thalamic abnormalities reported in adult schizophrenic and bipolar patients are also observed in adolescent patients. Our findings also add to the evidence implicating the thalamus in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

An MRI study of adolescent patients with either schizophrenia or bipolar disorder as compared to healthy control subjects

BACKGROUND

There are few imaging studies in adolescent patients with either schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Such studies are of interest because adolescents may have a more severe illness and neurodevelopmental events may have a greater role in their pathophysiology.

METHODS

We compared 20 patients with schizophrenia and 15 patients with bipolar disorder (10 to 18 years) to 16 normal adolescents on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures of intracranial volume and ventricular and sulcal enlargement. Two planned comparison contrasts were employed, one comparing the two patient groups to each other (contrast 1), and one comparing both patient groups combined to control subjects (contrast 2).

RESULTS

None of the contrast 1 comparisons (schizophrenia vs bipolar) were statistically significant. Contrast 2 comparisons (control subjects vs patients) were statistically significant for intracranial volume (reduced in patients) as well as frontal and temporal sulcal size (increased in patients).

CONCLUSIONS

The patient groups were not statistically significantly different from each other on any measure. The combined patient groups were different from control subjects on intracranial volume and frontal and temporal sulcal size. Also, there was evidence for ventricular enlargement, after removal of a control subject with an extreme value. These findings indicate that the same abnormalities noted in adult populations are present in adolescents.

Effect of divalproex sodium on aggression and self-injurious behaviour in adults with intellectual disability: a retrospective review

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of divalproex sodium treatment in adults with intellectual disability, and aggressive or self-injurious behaviour. Twenty-eight adults aged between 20 and 63 years of age with severe, long-lasting behavioural problems were treated with divalproex sodium (dosage 500-4000 mg day(-1)). Clinical changes were assessed at 2-73 months into the pharmacological treatment utilizing the Clinical Global Impression Severity (CGI-S) scale, and monthly behavioural counts of aggressive and self-injurious acts. Seventy-one percent of subjects demonstrated a moderate or marked improvement on the CGI-S; another 21% demonstrated mild benefits. Among the patients for whom objective prospective behavioural counts were available, 88% showed a significant reduction in aggression and self-injurious behaviour, 46% had other psychotropic medications discontinued, and another 39% had psychotropic medications decreased. One patient had serious thrombocytopenia which required the discontinuation of divalproex sodium, and one other had vomiting and worsened aggression. The present preliminary, uncontrolled study suggests that adults with intellectual disability, and aggressive or self-injurious behaviour may respond to divalproex sodium, and that this drug is well-tolerated in the majority of subjects.

Cognitive impairment in adolescents with schizophrenia

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to determine whether adolescent schizophrenia is characterized by neuropsychological deficits.

METHOD

The performance on a battery of neuropsychological tests of 17 adolescents with schizophrenia (mean age = 15.71 years) was compared with that of 17 normal adolescents (mean age = 15.12 years).

RESULTS

Compared with the normal subjects, the patients were impaired on 10 of the 13 measures; larger effect sizes were shown for measures involving working memory and attention than for those involving secondary memory, generative naming, and executive functions.

CONCLUSIONS

Adolescents with schizophrenia have generalized cognitive dysfunction, which is most apparent on tests of attention and working memory.

Adolescent schizophrenia: a methodologic review of the current neuroimaging and neuropsychologic literature

This paper reviews all relevant articles that reported structural neuroimaging or neuropsychological data in adolescent patients with schizophrenia. These papers were subsequently examined from a methodological perspective. Few papers have been written that have examined whether adolescent schizophrenia is associated with structural neuroimaging abnormalities or cognitive dysfunction. In these studies, major methodologic issues exist. Therefore, at present, firm conclusions cannot be made regarding the presence or absence of neuropsychologic dysfunction or structural neuroimaging abnormalities in this population. Attention to certain methodologic issues may improve future studies of this topic.

The effects of HIV on cognitive and motor development in children born to HIV-seropositive women with no reported drug use: birth to 24 months

OBJECTIVE

This study documents delays in the mental and motor functioning of infants perinatally infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) while controlling for confounding effects of prenatal drug exposure, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and maternal separation and death.

METHODS

The cognitive and motor development of 126 infants born to nondrug-using, HIV-seropositive Haitian women was assessed at 3-month intervals through 24 months of age using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development. By 18 months of age, 28 of the infants were diagnosed as HIV-infected, and the 98 uninfected infants served as a control group. The infected and uninfected infants did not differ with respect to mean gestational age, birth weight, ethnicity, or rates of maternal separation and death.

RESULTS

By 3 months of age, the mean mental and motor scores of the infected infants were significantly lower than those of the uninfected controls. Furthermore, the initial differences between the two groups increased over time, as many of the infected infants became increasingly delayed. Although the infected infants tended to perform more poorly than the uninfected infants, nearly one third of the infected infants exhibited relatively normal cognitive development and half demonstrated relatively normal motor development.

CONCLUSIONS

Over the first 24 months of life, the mean rate of development of HIV-infected infants is significantly slower than that of noninfected infants born to seropositive mothers. This occurs even when the effects are not confounded with those of prenatal drug exposure.

Pediatric HIV infection: a neuropsychological and educational challenge

Pediatric acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection will soon be the primary infectious cause of perinatally acquired developmental disabilities in the United States. HIV encephalopathy and a variety of opportunistic infections, neoplasms, and vascular changes associated with pediatric HIV infection create a high probability of neuropsychological impairment among preschool and school-age children infected perinatally. Although the use of antiretrovirals may moderate some of the functional difficulties faced by these children, specific neuropathological and neuropsychological deficits are likely to remain. Treatments that prevent the central nervous system (CNS) effects of HIV have yet to be identified. As the epidemic progresses among women of child-bearing age, well-controlled developmental studies are needed to further clarify the relationship between HIV and child development, and to aid professionals in developing appropriate, school-based educational plans.