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A double-blind, placebo controlled, crossover trial of carbamazepine in overactive, severely mentally handicapped patients

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

Andrew H. Reid*
Affiliation:
Dundee Psychiatric Service, Strathmartine Hospital, by Dundee; and the University Department of Psychiatry, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee
Graham J. Naylor
Affiliation:
Dundee Psychiatric Service, Strathmartine Hospital, by Dundee; and the University Department of Psychiatry, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee
David S. G. Kay
Affiliation:
Dundee Psychiatric Service, Strathmartine Hospital, by Dundee; and the University Department of Psychiatry, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee
*
1Address for correspondence: Dr A. H. Reid, Strathmartine Hospital, by Dundee DD3 OPG.

Synopsis

A double-blind, placebo controlled, crossover trial of carbamazepine in 12 severely and profoundly mentally retarded, overactive adult patients is described. The trial lasted 7 months and those patients in whom overactivity was the dominant problem responded to some degree to carbamazepine with a reduction in overactivity. This was particularly so in patients in whom overactivity was accompanied by some elevation of mood. Patients in whom overactivity was part of a wider spectrum of multiple behaviour disorders showed a scatter of responses. There was no relationship between response to carbamazepine and the presence or absence of epilepsy. The trial identified a small group of mentally retarded patients in whom carbamazepine might be clinically useful.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1981

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References

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