PSYCHIATRIC-ILLNESS IN MENTAL-RETARDATION - AN UPDATE ON PHARMACOTHERAPY

According to the DSM-IV, all types of psychiatric disorders can be obs erved in mentally retarded subjects, with prevalence estimated to be t hree or four times higher than in the general population, Clinical fea tures, longitudinal course and triggering factors are influenced by th e characteristics of the intellectual disability, The aim of this pape r is to discuss the specificity of the psychopharmacological therapy i n mental retardation (sensitivity to specific psychotropic drugs, inci dence of side effects, predictive criteria for evaluating risk factors , etc.) and to propose an update in the pharmacotherapy in the most im portant psychiatric disorders (mood disorders, psychotic disorders, be havioral disorders, anxiety disorders, attention deficit disorders wit h or without hyperactivity).