Aripiprazole Treatment in the Adolescent Patients with Inhalants Use Disorders and Conduct Disorder: A Retrospective Case Analysis

Aripiprazole Treatment in the Adolescent Patients with Inhalants Use Disorders and Conduct Disorder: A Retrospective Case Analysis Pharmacologically, aripiprazole is a partial agonist at D2 and 5-HT1A receptors and an antagonist at 5-HT2A receptors with the different effect on dopaminerjic system from other antipsychotics. Partial agonists are effective for stimulants, opiate, cocaine and nicotine dependence and dopamine D2 receptors have been implicated in the abuse related effects of substances. In addition, it has shown that aripiprazole reduced substance use in schizophrenic, bipolar or schizoaffective disorder patients comorbid with substance use disorders, suggesting that aripiprazole would be useful in patients with substance use disorders and co-existing psychiatric conditions. Open-label evidence is also available for use of aripiprazole in disruptive behavior disorders in children and adolescent. Therefore, aripiprazole might be an effective strategy for adolescent patients with inhalants use disorders and conduct disorder. In the reported cases, aripiprazole treatment successfully controlled on psychiatric symptoms of adolescent patients and also reduced the frequency of substance use in these patients.