Sections
Pharmacological Treatments | Psychotherapeutic Treatments
Excerpt
No evidence exists to support an indication for specific medication
use in treatment of ODD, per se. There are reports of reduction
in oppositional behaviors with indicated pharmacological treatment
of concurrent disorders (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 2007), such as ADHD. Medications for ADHD, including stimulants
and clonidine, have been noted to reduce comorbid oppositional behaviors along
with the primary symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity
(see Chapter 15, "Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity
Disorder"). There are clinical reports that atomoxetine
(Bangs et al. 2008) and buspirone (Gross 1995)
can reduce ODD behaviors in children with comorbid ADHD. Other symptoms
of ODD are reduced with medication treatment of more severe physical
aggression in youth (see the discussion of CD in the subsection "Treatment" later
in this chapter; see also Chapter 37, "Aggression and Violence"),
including the neuroleptics and mood stabilizers, but these medications
have not been systematically studied in cases with only ODD.