Abstract
Patients with autistic disorders (AD) exhibit irritability, aggression, deliberate self-injury, and tantrums, which often exacerbate social and communication problems and impair family life and/or school adjustments. Risperidone and aripiprazole have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treating irritability in children and adolescents with AD. The efficacy of other second-generation antipsychotics (SGA), such as quetiapine and olanzapine, for AD-associated irritability have been demonstrated in open-label trials. However, no study has yet evaluated the effectiveness and safety of blonanserin (BNS) for treating irritability in patients with AD in Japan. In this case report, we describe an AD patient who exhibited irritability while on standard antipsychotics that was improved by BNS. BNS may be effective and safe for treating AD-associated irritability. Further large-scale controlled studies will be needed to confirm our findings.
