Clinical evaluation of risperidone in Asian patients with schizophrenia in Singapore.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the short-term efficacy and safety of risperidone in a group of Asian patients with schizophrenia in an 8-week open-label, prospective study.


METHODS
Patients with DSM-IV schizophrenia were recruited from Woodbridge Hospital. After a washout period, they were started on a 56-day trial of risperidone. Outcome was assessed with the positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS), the clinical global impression scale (CGI) and the extrapyramidal symptom rating scale (ESRS).


RESULTS
The mean daily risperidone dose at end point was 5.6 mg (range, 3 to 8 md/day). Mean PANSS scores were reduced significantly from 78 +/- 15.1 at baseline to 56.6 +/- 10.9 at end point. Seventeen patients (85%) who were treatment responders, showed at least a 20% reduction in total PANSS scores at end point while nine patients (45%) had a greater than 50% reduction in the total PANSS scores. According to the CGI scale, 85% improved at end point. The severity of extrapyramidal symptoms (mean ESRS scores) were significantly lower at end point than at baseline.


CONCLUSIONS
Risperidone was effective in the treatment of positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia.
Chong
S A
SA
Institute of Mental Health, Woodbridge Hospital, Singapore.
Yap
H L
HL
Low
B L
BL
Choo
C H
CH
Chan
A O
AO
Wong
K E
KE
Mahendran
R
R
Chee
K T
KT
D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018967:Risperidone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012846:Singapore
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D018967:Risperidone