Professional paper
Efficacy of quetiapine in treatment of behavioral disorders in adolescents
Daša Bosanac
orcid.org/0000-0001-7615-2762
; Psychiatric hospital Lopača, Croatia
Ilijana Stanivuk
; Psychiatric hospital Lopača, Croatia
Abstract
Objective: Quetiapin monotherapy has been efficient in the therapy of schizophrenia,
PTSP and depression. Following the published studies on the use of antipsychotics in children
and adolescents, we examined the effects and effectiveness of quetiapine on a group of
adolescents with behavioral disorders. Methods and patients: During a period of 12 weeks, we
have monitored the effect of the drug at 16 adolescents hospitalized in the Psychiatric Hospital
Lopača. Featured groups of patients had outlined aggressiveness, impulsivity, delinquent pattern
and depressive symptoms. Ten patients were diagnosed as socialized conduct disorder
with good integration into the group of peers (F91.2), four patients as Mixed disorder of conduct
and emotions (F92) and two patients were diagnosed as Emotional disorder (F93). As a
measure of behavioral change we have used the Scale of fear and anxiety for children and adolescents
(SKAD-62), Becks` depression questionnaire (BDI-II), Questionnaire for aggressiveness
(A-87) and the impulsivity subtest in the ADHD test. Patients were tested upon arrival at the
hospital treatment and after 12 weeks, within which we introduced the quetiapine in therapy,
by the scheme to effective therapeutic doses. Standard laboratory tests and weight control
measures were made. Results: The use of quetiapin shows significant reduction of manifest
verbal and physical aggressiveness and impulsiveness. There is also a trend towards reduction
of anxiety. A significant decrease in depression was recorded in patients diagnosed as F92 and
F93. There was a significant increase in body weight. Discussion and conclusion: Despite the
controversial implementation and insufficient number of registered antipsychotics for the
treatment of children and adolescents, the use of quetiapine in our study showed a significant
reduction in the socially undesirable behavioral patterns for adolescents with behavioral disorders.
The results are preliminary and require further research on multiple subjects.
Keywords
antipsychotics; conduct disorder; pharmacotherapy for children and adolescents; quetiapine
Hrčak ID:
66095
URI
Publication date:
7.3.2011.
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