Aripiprazole improves social interaction in Taiwanese children with pervasive developmental disorder.

Aripiprazole, an atypical antipsychotic, is effective in children with psychosis and few adverse effects have been reported. However, little is known about the efficacy and safety of aripiprazole in the treatment of autistic or other pervasive developmental disorders. We report three children with pervasive developmental disorders who were treated with aripiprazole for associated behavioral syndromes. Aripiprazole significantly improved the social interaction of all three children. Furthermore, two patients also showed significant improvement in depression/anxiety syndromes. The outcomes achieved with aripiprazole in these cases suggest that it is a potential therapeutic agent for children with pervasive developmental disorders.