Past Issues

　　Objectives: The aim of this observational study was to investigate the typical dosage of the atypical antipsychotic, risperidone, for a sample of children and adolescents with psychotic disorders in Taiwan and compare the results to analogous western studies. Methods: From July 2001 to March 2002, 103 pediatric, adolescent and young adult cases of psychotic disorder being treated at multiple medical centers in Taiwan were enrolled in this study. Subjects underwent treatment with risperidone for at least 12 weeks. Only patients who were stable at the time of assessment and had received a constant dose of risperidone for at least 4 weeks were enrolled in the analysis. Results: The mean daily dosage prescribed for children, adolescents and young adults was 1.52 ± 0.84, 3.01 ± 1.39 and 3.10 ± 1.65 mg, respectively. The mean constant daily dosage of risperidone for 66 pediatric and adolescent cases was 2.99 ± 1.41 mg. Among the pediatric and adolescent cases, risperidone dosage was positively correlated with age whereas there was no significant between-gender difference in risperidone dosage. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that the average risperidone dosage for children and adolescents with psychotic disorders in Taiwan might be slightly lower compared to analogs from Western countries.