Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) in Children and Adolescents taking Atypical Antipsychotic Medications: A Protocol for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

ABSTRACTAtypical Antipsychotic medications are commonly prescribed to children and adolescents and are associated with important adverse effects including weight gain and metabolic syndrome. Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is not only the most common pediatric liver disease, but can also be associated with serious complications including liver cirrhosis. Given that both NAFLD and Atypical Antipsychotics (AAP) are associated with metabolic syndrome, we aimed to comprehensively examine the association between AAP and NAFLD in children and adolescents. We will conduct a systematic review following the PRISMA guidelines, of English-language literature published between 1950 and 2020, exploring NAFLD in subjects younger than 18 years on AAP.