Higher-functioning pervasive developmental disorders: Rates and patterns of psychotropic drug use

Objective: To explore the frequency, characteristics, and associated target symptoms of psychotropic drug use among subjects with higher-functioning p ervasive developmental disorders (HFPDDs). Method: A total of 109 children, adolescents, and adults (mean age = 13.9 years, SD = 6.9) consecutively se eking enrollment into the Yale Child Study Center's Project on Social Learn ing Disabilities were included in the study. Individuals in whom Asperger's disorder, autism, or pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specif ied had been previously diagnosed and who had a documented Full Scale IQ gr eater than or equal to 70 completed surveys on demographic, clinical, and m edication history information. To naturalistically evaluate medication use patterns in this population, each drug class was analyzed with respect to d emographic and clinical variables. Results: In all, 55% of subjects were ta king psychotropics, with 29.3% taking 2 or more medications simultaneously. Antidepressants were the most commonly used agents (32.1%), followed by st imulants (20.2%) and neuroleptics (16.5%). The clinical presentation of sub jects taking psychotropic agents was heterogeneous, and most consistently i ncluded anxiety-related target symptoms (in 65% of medicated individuals). Conclusions: Psychotropic medication use appears to be common among subject s with HFPDDs, yet not generally based on the results of empirical research . Clinical heterogeneity among treated subjects suggests that psychiatric c omorbidity may be overlooked in this population.