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Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders pp 1Cite as

Risperdal ™ (Risperidone)

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Risperidone

Definition

Risperdal ™ (generic name risperidone) is an atypical antipsychotic medication. It has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and irritability associated with ASD. Risperdal ™ is a dopamine and serotonin antagonist. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter related to reward pathways in the brain, while serotonin is involved in mood regulation. Risperdal ™ works by blocking postsynaptic dopamine and serotonin receptors. Specifically, Risperdal ™ binds to D2 dopamine receptors and 5-HT2A serotonin receptors, decreasing the amount of dopaminergic and serotonergic activity in the brain.

In 2006, Risperdal ™ was the first medication approved by the FDA for symptoms associated with ASD in children and adolescents. (The FDA subsequently approved aripiprazole, another atypical antipsychotic, for treatment of symptoms associated with ASD in 2009.) Risperdal ™ treats irritability associated with ASD and has been...

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References and Reading

  • LeClerc, S., & Easley, D. (2015). Pharmacological Therapies for Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Review. Pharmacy and Therapeutics, 40(6), 389–397.

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  • Marder, S. R., & Meibach, R. C. (1994). Risperidone in the treatment of schizophrenia. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 151(6), 825.

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  • McCracken, J. T., McGough, J., Shah, B., Cronin, P., Hong, D., Aman, M. G., … & McDougle, C. J. (2002). Risperidone in children with autism and serious behavioral problems. New England Journal of Medicine, 347(5), 314–321.

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  • McDougle, C. J., Holmes, J. P., Carlson, D. C., Pelton, G. H., Cohen, D. J., & Price, L. H. (1998). A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of risperidone in adults with autistic disorder and other pervasive developmental disorders. Archives of General Psychiatry, 55(7), 633–641.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Yale Child Study Center, New Haven, CT, USA

    Elizabeth A. DeLucia

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  1. Elizabeth A. DeLucia
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Correspondence to Elizabeth A. DeLucia .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Yale Child Study Center, New Haven, CT, USA

    Fred R. Volkmar

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DeLucia, E.A. (2019). Risperdal ™ (Risperidone). In: Volkmar, F. (eds) Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_102093-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_102093-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-6435-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-6435-8

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