Lithium carbonate for aggression in mentally retarded persons.

These are the results of a retrospective study in which we reviewed the charts of 38 consecutive aggressive mentally retarded persons who were treated with lithium carbonate. All subjects were residents of a university operated program that serves mentally retarded persons with behavioral disorders. Over 63% of these subjects evidenced a greater than 30% reduction in the frequency of aggressiveness subsequent to the start of lithium therapy. Subjects with higher serum lithium levels had a more favorable response to lithium, along with those exhibiting higher levels of hyperactivity and violence before treatment.