title: [Quality of life and disability in chronic schizophrenics treated with with risperidone and previously treated with depot neuroleptics].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  1. Assess the evolution of disability and quality of life in schizophrenic patients treated with risperidone and who had received depot neuroleptics; 2. Evaluate risperidone efficiency; 3. Evaluate safety of this drug.
  
  
  METHODS
  Post-marketing multicentric observational (8 months) surveillance study was carried out.
  
  
  METHODS
  109 schizophrenic patients (ICD-10 criteria).
  
  
  METHODS
  baseline and months 2, 4 and 8.
  
  
  METHODS
  SF-36, WHO/DDS-S, BPRS and CGI. Safety was evaluated by the UKU subscale for neurological side effects and spontaneous reports.
  
  
  RESULTS
  statistically significant improvement of the mean scores of BPRS, CGI, WHO/DDS-S and SF-36 at 2, 4 and 8 months. There was a significant reduction in the total UKU subscale for neurological side effects scores from visit 1 (month 2) onwards. Risperidone was generally well tolerated by the study patients. From a total of 104 patients included, only 4 (3.8%) discontinued treatment due to adverse reactions. During the 8 months of study period, 87.6% of the patients did not suffer any adverse event; the resting 12.4 suffered one or more side effects. The most frequently reported adverse events according spontaneous reports were: anxiety and restlessness (n= 4; 3.8%), weight increase (n= 4; 3.8%), sexual disturbances (n= 4; 3.8%) and amenorrhea (n= 2; 1.9%) among others.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  the long-term treatment with risperidone has improved the disability and quality of life levels of a large group of schizophrenic patients previously treated with depot neuroleptics.
authors.affiliation: Area de Psiquiatría, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, 33006, España.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bobes
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gibert
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Herraiz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life; D018967:Risperidone / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists; D018967:Risperidone