Efficacy of topiramate in children and adolescents with problems in impulse control: preliminary results

Abstract

Introduction. Although in the pharmacological field topiramate has shown proved efficacy in impulsive behavioral disorders (IBD), this fact has not been demonstrated with the same evidence in children and adolescents. The aim of this study is to evaluate improvement of symptoms in different IBD in those ages after treatment with topiramate.

Clinical case. Eleven cases of IBD (DSM-IV criteria) were evaluated with the Barrat Impulsivity Scale (BIS), obtaining scores at zero, one and three months after starting treatment with topiramate.

Results. We found significant differences in the cognitive impulsivity subscale (p = 0.040) and total score of the BIS (p=0.043) when BIS scale was measured after one month of treatment; after three months of treatment, the motor impulsivity subscale also showed significant differences (p=0.015).

Conclusions. The significant reductions at BIS scores in child and adolescents outpatients who have IBD make us consider topiramate as an effective pharmacological option for treatment of impulsivity in several psychiatric disorders, also in childhood and adolescence. More studies are needed to confirm these results, with bigger samples and control groups.