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We aimed to provide a descriptive review of treatment studies of atypical antipsychotics in paediatric psychiatric disorders. A systematic review of the literature used Medline and EMBASE databases to identify clinical trials of atypical antipsychotics in children and adolescents between 1994 and 2006. Trials were limited to double-blind studies and open-label studies of ≥8 weeks duration that included ≥20 patients. Nineteen double-blind and 22 open-label studies were identified. Studies included use of clozapine, olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone, and ziprasidone in the treatment of disruptive behavioural disorders (DBDs), pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs), tic disorder, psychotic disorders, and mania. These medications generally reduced the severity of a variety of psychiatric symptoms in children and adolescents. Less frequent adverse events included extrapyramidal symptoms …