Risperidone vs. haloperidol on reaction time, manual dexterity, and motor learning in treatment-resistant schizophrenia patients.
BACKGROUND
The present study compared the effects of risperidone vs. haloperidol on reaction time, manual dexterity, and two types of motor learning in a sample of treatment-resistant schizophrenia patients.


METHODS
Fifty-six DSM-III-R diagnosed schizophrenia inpatients participated in a randomized, double-blind comparison of risperidone vs. haloperidol. Measures of reaction time, manual dexterity, motor sequence learning, and gross motor learning were administered at baseline, after 4 weeks of fixed-dose medication, and after 4 weeks of flexible-dose medication.


RESULTS
The results indicated that patients receiving risperidone showed greater improvement in reaction time and manual dexterity than patients receiving haloperidol. After covarying symptom changes and movement disorder ratings, the results remained significant. The two treatment groups did not differ on either measure of motor learning.


CONCLUSIONS
The differences in performance in reaction time and manual dexterity may be due to a specific beneficial effect of risperidone, as opposed to a general reduction in extrapyramidal symptom liability, compared to haloperidol.
Kern
R S
RS
UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, USA.
Green
M F
MF
Marshall
B D
BD
Wirshing
W C
WC
Wirshing
D
D
McGurk
S
S
Marder
S R
SR
Mintz
J
J
D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004351:Drug Resistance; D005260:Female; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000187:drug effects; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D018967:Risperidone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D006220:Haloperidol; D018967:Risperidone