PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENT OF PSYCHOTIC CHILDREN - SURVEY

Controlled investigations on the psychopharmacological treatment of psychotic children are reviewed. Children with infantile autism might benefit from psychopharmacological medication when they grwo older, e.g. above the age of 7 years. Learning might be facilitated when the psychoactive medication is able to inhibit psychotic preoccupations and idiosyncratic reactions. Schizophrenic and manic‐depressive psychoses are rarely seen in childhood. A subgroup of the children with infantile autism might develop schizophrenic symptoms. Schizophrenia and manic‐depressive psychosis in children are treated as in adults. Special caution must be paid to the toxic effects of imipramine. Copyright © 1979, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved