The Science and Ethics of Antipsychotic Use in Children

Senior Research Fellow at the University of British Columbia’s “National Core for Neuroethics, Dr. Di Pietro also serves as the Neuroethics Program Lead for NeuroDevNet (Canadian org focused on children’s neurodevelopmental disorders) and is described by one reviewer as “a rising force in the field of neuroethics and developmental neuroscience.” Professor in the Department of Neurology and Research Chair in Neuroethics for the University of British Columbia, Dr. Illes is also Co-founder and Executive Committee Member for the Neuroethics Society. She is one of the leading voices in neuroethics today and has published extensively in this realm (Editor: Handbook of Neuroethics/2011, Neuroethics: Defining the Issues in Theory, Practice, and Policy/2005). She also serves as Chair for the International Brain Research Organization (IBRO), Committee Chair for Society for Neuroscience, Editorial Board Member for Journal of Ethics in Mental Health, and Senior Editorial Advisor for American Journal of Bioethics: Neuroscience.

1: A Brief History of the Science and Ethics of Antipsychotics and Off-label Prescribing 2: Pharmacoepidemiology of antipsychotic use in Canadian children and adolescents 3: Do We Know if they Work and if they are Safe: Second Generation Antipsychotics for treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders and Disruptive Behavior Disorders in Children and Adolescents. 4: Ensuring the safety of children treated with second-generation antipsychotics 5: Pediatric clinical trial activity for antipsychotics and the sharing of results - a complex ethical landscape 6: Pathways to Overmedication and Polypharmacy: Case Examples from Adolescents with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders 7: Implementing Change in Prescribing Practices 8: Canadian initiatives and recommendations: Safeguarding the health of children and youth receiving off-label treatment with antipsychotics