Efficacy and tolerance profile of risperidone use in people with autism spectrum disorder in a clinic in Santarém, Pará, Brazil. A retrospective study

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to obtain the profile of efficacy and tolerance of risperidone in the treatment of people with autism spectrum disorder. Materials and Methods: This research was a cross-sectional and retrospective study. The medical records of 100 patients diagnosed with ASD according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) were analyzed and measures of central tendency and correlation between variables such as gender, age at diagnosis, symptoms, daily dose, comorbidities, polytherapy, adverse drug effects, and outcome (improvement, worsening, and drug discontinuation) were calculated using Pearson’s R test with a level of statistical significance P < 0.05. Results: The male gender was the most affected, corresponding to 80% of the participants. The mean age at diagnosis was 6.88 ± 6.24 and the mean dose was 1.89 ± 1.68 mg/day. The use of risperidone for patients with aggressiveness, hyperactivity, insomnia, or self-harm improved in 76% of patients and adverse effects were reported in 27% of cases. The presence of self-harm implied lower chances of improvement (P = 0.05/r = −0.20). Adverse effects were strong predictors of discontinuation (P = 0.01/r = 0.39), and epileptic patients were more likely to have them (P = 0.02/r = 0.20). Male gender was associated with dosages lower than 2 mg/day (P = 0.05/r = 0.23). Conclusion: Risperidone is a good option in the management of secondary symptoms of ASD, generally requiring low doses and presenting an acceptable profile of adverse effects. The age of diagnosis does not affect the drug’s efficiency, but it can make the management of ASD difficult.