Search

Objective. This study aimed at examining the effectiveness of treating children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who present with irritability, aggression, and disruptive behavior at the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (SQUH) in Muscat, Oman, with risperidone, and to note any sex-based differences among this cohort. Method. This was a retrospective study conducted at the Department of Behavioral Medicine at SQUH over two years from January 2017 to December 2018. This study included all children aged 3 to 18 years attending the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) outpatient clinic with a diagnosis of ASD, based on the DSM-5 criteria, and comorbid disruptive behavior, who had been prescribed risperidone. Result. This study identified 95 ASD patients (72 males). Male patients’ BMI score after 12 months of risperidone treatment showed an increase by 0.62 (1.57 SD; P = 0.001 ); however, there was no significant change among female patients. Somnolence was noted in 69.6% of female patients as compared to 34.7% of males ( P = 0.003 ). Among those with a family history of ASD, 5 out of 17 patients had treatment success (29.4%), whereas 70 out of 78 patients (90.0%) who did not have a similar history had successful treatment. Conclusion. In conclusion, low-dose risperidone monotherapy is effective and well tolerated among some children with ASD who present with disruptive behavior in a naturalistic clinical setting. However, we found that some of the side effects, such as weight gain and somnolence, were concerning.

Objectives: Epilepsy is the most common neurological disorder in children and comorbid depression is common. This study aimed to assess the frequency of depressive symptoms along with demographic and clinical factors in children diagnosed with epilepsy in a tertiary care institution in Oman. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between June 2016 and August 2018 and included children (n = 75) aged 6–12 years old attending the epilepsy clinic at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Oman. The cohort constituted of children with epilepsy (CWE) following up at a dedicated unit. We used the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale for Children to assess the presence of depressive symptoms. Associated factors, including history of seizure in the last three months, compliance with antiepileptic medications, and type of epilepsy were also examined. Results: Depressive symptoms were endorsed in 52.0% of CWE and 96.0% were compliant to medications. Recurrent seizures were present in the last three months among 48.0% of the CWE. The type of epilepsy was significantly associated with the presence of depressive symptoms. Conclusions: Depression is prevalent among Omani CWE. Certain clinical factors appeared to increase the risk of depression among this population. The findings of this study fill a gap in the existing literature and call for further work aiming to explore possible tailored recognition and CWE.