Biomaterial Database

Long-term drug use in psychiatric disorders in children. Facts, controversies and the future. 1993

J S Werry

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Science, University of Auckland, New Zealand.

This paper is part of a special section on 'psychopharmacotherapy in children' and deals with facts, controversies and the future of the long-term use of pharmacotherapy in child and adolescent psychiatric disorders. This topic has been little studied because of career disincentives and practical difficulties. Indications for long-term use require evidence of short-term efficacy and safety, a chronic or recurring disorder and continuing proof of effect. Early onset of disorders usually found in adults, such as schizophrenia and bipolar mood disorder, form the clearest indications; but among the child disorders, attention deficit disorder has the most supporting evidence, though medication appears to have little effect on long-term outcome. There is need for further research.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D002665	Child Psychiatry	The medical science that deals with the origin, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of mental disorders in children.	Psychiatry, Child
D002675	Child, Preschool	A child between the ages of 2 and 5.	Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D004409	Dyskinesia, Drug-Induced	Abnormal movements, including HYPERKINESIS; HYPOKINESIA; TREMOR; and DYSTONIA, associated with the use of certain medications or drugs. Muscles of the face, trunk, neck, and extremities are most commonly affected. Tardive dyskinesia refers to abnormal hyperkinetic movements of the muscles of the face, tongue, and neck associated with the use of neuroleptic agents (see ANTIPSYCHOTIC AGENTS). (Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, p1199)	Dyskinesia, Medication-Induced,Medication-Induced Dyskinesia,Drug-Induced Dyskinesia,Drug-Induced Dyskinesias,Dyskinesia, Drug Induced,Dyskinesia, Medication Induced,Dyskinesias, Drug-Induced,Dyskinesias, Medication-Induced,Medication Induced Dyskinesia,Medication-Induced Dyskinesias
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000293	Adolescent	A person 13 to 18 years of age.	Adolescence,Youth,Adolescents,Adolescents, Female,Adolescents, Male,Teenagers,Teens,Adolescent, Female,Adolescent, Male,Female Adolescent,Female Adolescents,Male Adolescent,Male Adolescents,Teen,Teenager,Youths
D000697	Central Nervous System Stimulants	A loosely defined group of drugs that tend to increase behavioral alertness, agitation, or excitation. They work by a variety of mechanisms, but usually not by direct excitation of neurons. The many drugs that have such actions as side effects to their main therapeutic use are not included here.	Analeptic,Analeptic Agent,Analeptic Drug,Analeptics,CNS Stimulant,CNS Stimulants,Central Nervous System Stimulant,Central Stimulant,Analeptic Agents,Analeptic Drugs,Central Stimulants,Agent, Analeptic,Agents, Analeptic,Drug, Analeptic,Drugs, Analeptic,Stimulant, CNS,Stimulant, Central,Stimulants, CNS,Stimulants, Central
D000928	Antidepressive Agents	Mood-stimulating drugs used primarily in the treatment of affective disorders and related conditions. Several MONOAMINE OXIDASE INHIBITORS are useful as antidepressants apparently as a long-term consequence of their modulation of catecholamine levels. The tricyclic compounds useful as antidepressive agents (ANTIDEPRESSIVE AGENTS, TRICYCLIC) also appear to act through brain catecholamine systems. A third group (ANTIDEPRESSIVE AGENTS, SECOND-GENERATION) is a diverse group of drugs including some that act specifically on serotonergic systems.	Antidepressant,Antidepressant Drug,Antidepressant Medication,Antidepressants,Antidepressive Agent,Thymoanaleptic,Thymoanaleptics,Thymoleptic,Thymoleptics,Antidepressant Drugs,Agent, Antidepressive,Drug, Antidepressant,Medication, Antidepressant