Use of clozapine in 10 mentally retarded adults.

The cost, side effect profile, and required weekly blood draws associated with clozapine may dissuade some clinicians from prescribing this atypical neuroleptic to mentally retarded patients. All publications on clozapine use in mentally retarded patients are reviewed and the treatment of 10 such patients is described, bringing the total number of published cases to 84. Clozapine is efficacious and well tolerated in this population and should be considered for those patients with psychosis or bipolar illness who are intolerant of or unresponsive to other agents.