Time to clozapine response in a standardized trial.
OBJECTIVE
The authors sought to determine the time to clozapine response in treatment-refractory patients with schizophrenia.


METHODS
Antipsychotic response to a clozapine trial was examined in 50 treatment-refractory schizophrenic inpatients. Subjects were treated with clozapine for at least 12 months, regardless of response status, according to a standardized, increasing dose protocol. Behavioral changes were measured through monthly assessments with the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale.


RESULTS
Thirty-four subjects (68%) met clinical response criteria by the end of the trial. Response was achieved at a mean dose of 468 mg/day (SD = 168). The dose of 30 (88%) of the responding patients was 600 mg/day or less. The mean time to response was 82 days (SD = 100, range = 10-401). It took an average of 60 days (SD = 87) for subjects to reach the dose at which clozapine response was achieved. Once this dose was reached, the average response time was 17 days (SD = 14, range = 2-56). All 34 subjects who responded met criteria within 8 weeks of a clozapine dose escalation. No late response was found in the remaining 16 subjects despite a mean follow-up period of 75 weeks (SD = 50).


CONCLUSIONS
In this study, all patients who responded to clozapine did so within 8 weeks of a change in dose. Thus, there appears to be little clinical gain in prolonging exposure to clozapine beyond 8 weeks at any particular dose if no response is seen.
Conley
R R
RR
Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA.
Carpenter
W T
WT
Tamminga
C A
CA
D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003024:Clozapine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D003024:Clozapine