Impact of atypical antipsychotics on quality of life in patients with schizophrenia.

Accession number;02A0472879
Title;Impact of atypical antipsychotics on quality of life in patients with schizophrenia.
Author;KANEDA YASUHIRO(Tokushimadai I Shinkeiseishin'igaku)   TANIGUCHI TAKAHIDE(Tokushimadai I Shinkeiseishin'igaku)   ISHIMOTO YASUHITO(Tokushimadai I Shinkeiseishin'igaku)   OMORI TETSURO(Tokushimadai I Shinkeiseishin'igaku)   
Journal Title;Annual Report of the Pharmacopsychiatry Research Foundation
Journal Code:Y0939A
ISSN:0286-7591
VOL.;NO.34;PAGE.93-99(2002)
Figure&Table&Reference;TBL.2, REF.19
Pub. Country;Japan
Language;Japanese
Abstract;Objective: We investigated the effects of atypical antipsychotic administration on quality of life (QOL) in patients with schizophrenia. Methods: The subjects were 20 patients who were diagnosed according to the DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia. Eight patients were treated with risperidone, and twelve patients were switched from typical antipsychotics to perospirone(N=3) or quetiapine(N=9). Each patient gave informed consent for the research involved in this study. The assessment of QOL was done before and after treatment/replacement. Quality of life was assessed using the Japanese version of the Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale(JSQLS). The assessment of psychotic symptoms was done using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale(BPRS). The hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal(HPG) axis hormones and plasma homovanillic acid(pHVA) level were also assessed. Results: (i) In the risperidone group, scores of the total BPRS and four factors, anxiety-depression, thought disturbance, activation, hostile-suspiciousness, decreased significantly after risperidone treatment. In the perospirone/quetiapine group, scores of the anxiety-depression factor decreased significantly after replacement by perospirone/quetiapine. (ii) In the risperidone group, the scores on two scales(psychosocial and motivation/energy) in the JSQLS decreased significantly. In the perospirone/quetiapine group, the scores on two scales(psychosocial and symptoms/side effects) decreased significantly. (iii) Six out of eight, and one out of 12 patients needed anticholinergic medications in the risperidone and perospirone/quetiapine group, respectively. (iv) In the risperidone group, prolactin increased significantly. In the perospirone/quetiapine group, prolactin decreased significantly. (v) In the risperidone group, the pHVA levels decreased significantly.... (author abst.)