Divalproex treatment for youth with explosive temper and mood lability: A double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover design

Objective: The authors sought to replicate open-label findings showing that specific criteria for explosive temper and mood lability identify disrupti ve youth who improve while receiving the anticonvulsant divalproex sodium. Method: Twenty outpatient children and adolescents (ages 10-18) with a disr uptive behavior disorder (oppositional defiant disorder or conduct disorder ) met the specific criteria for explosive temper and mood lability. They re ceived 6 weeks of divalproex treatment and 6 weeks of placebo by random ass ignment. Independent evaluators blind to group assignment assessed response at the end of each phase. Results: At the end of phase 1, eight of 10 subjects had responded to dival proex; zero of 10 had responded to placebo. Of the 15 subjects who complete d both phases, 12 has superior response taking divalproex. Conclusions: Thi s preliminary study replicates open-label findings showing that divalproex is an efficacious treatment for explosive temper and mood lability in disru ptive children and adolescents.