Synonyms
Definition
Risperdal ™ (generic name risperidone) is an atypical antipsychotic medication. It has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and irritability associated with ASD. Risperdal ™ is a dopamine and serotonin antagonist. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter related to reward pathways in the brain, while serotonin is involved in mood regulation. Risperdal ™ works by blocking postsynaptic dopamine and serotonin receptors. Specifically, Risperdal ™ binds to D2 dopamine receptors and 5-HT2A serotonin receptors, decreasing the amount of dopaminergic and serotonergic activity in the brain.
In 2006, Risperdal ™ was the first medication approved by the FDA for symptoms associated with ASD in children and adolescents. (The FDA subsequently approved aripiprazole, another atypical antipsychotic, for treatment of symptoms associated with ASD in 2009.) Risperdal ™ treats irritability associated with ASD and has been...
References and Reading
LeClerc, S., & Easley, D. (2015). Pharmacological Therapies for Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Review. Pharmacy and Therapeutics, 40(6), 389–397.
Marder, S. R., & Meibach, R. C. (1994). Risperidone in the treatment of schizophrenia. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 151(6), 825.
McCracken, J. T., McGough, J., Shah, B., Cronin, P., Hong, D., Aman, M. G., … & McDougle, C. J. (2002). Risperidone in children with autism and serious behavioral problems. New England Journal of Medicine, 347(5), 314–321.
McDougle, C. J., Holmes, J. P., Carlson, D. C., Pelton, G. H., Cohen, D. J., & Price, L. H. (1998). A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of risperidone in adults with autistic disorder and other pervasive developmental disorders. Archives of General Psychiatry, 55(7), 633–641.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature
About this entry
Cite this entry
DeLucia, E.A. (2019). Risperdal ™ (Risperidone). In: Volkmar, F. (eds) Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_102093-1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_102093-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-6435-8
Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-6435-8
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Behavioral Science and PsychologyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences