Source: DGNews  |  Posted 9 years ago

By Paula Moyer
Special to DG News

SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- October 28, 2002 -- Treatment with lithium is effective in reducing aggressive behaviour in children with conduct disorder, according to Dr. Philip P. Malone, a psychiatrist at M.C.P. Hahnemann University, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.

"We found lithium to be more effective than placebo in reducing aggression in children 10 to 17 years old with conduct disorder," said Dr. Malone. "Our initial review was of an inpatient setting, and those findings were similar to an outpatient study that is ongoing."

Dr. Malone, who presented the findings here October 25 at the 49th annual meeting of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, noted that studying medication effects on overt aggression has certain challenges.

He noted that there are several challenges involved in assessing aggression, a behaviour that is rarely observed directly and may have different subtypes, including reactive and proactive aggression. They conducted a retrospective analysis of a recently completed study of hospitalised children with conduct disorder and compared these findings from an ongoing outpatient study.

The investigators found that they could measure aggression in both inpatient and outpatient settings, and the treatment response may be related to aggression subtype. Their findings also showed that lithium has potential as a treatment for serious aggression, he said.

In the inpatient setting, the investigators followed 86 hospitalised children, 74 boys and12 girls, who averaged 12.8 years. Of the 86 enrolled, 40 completed the study; these patients were randomised to either lithium or placebo. The investigators excluded children who had comorbid anxiety disorders.

The lithium doses ranged from 900 mg to 2,400 mg daily, with a mean daily dose of 1425 mg. The adverse effects reported were nausea, vomiting, and urinary frequency. The investigators employed both global and specific measures of aggression, and found that lithium was effective when both measures were used. Additionally, they found that patients