title: The neurocognitive effects of low-dose haloperidol: a two-year comparison with risperidone.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Neurocognitive deficits are core features of schizophrenia that are linked to functional outcome for the disorder. Recent studies and reviews have concluded that newer antipsychotic medications are better for neurocognitive deficits than conventional antipsychotic medications; however, one difficulty in interpreting this literature is that the comparisons have mainly been with high doses of conventional medications. This study examined the neurocognitive effects of low-dose haloperidol compared with risperidone over a 2-year period.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-two patients were randomly assigned to medication (starting at 6 mg of each medication) and administered neurocognitive batteries six times over the course of follow-up. At 6 months, the mean dose of haloperidol was 5.0 mg, and the mean dose of risperidone was 6.0 mg. Neurocognitive data were reduced into cluster scores and a global summary score.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found no significant overall differences in treatment effects on the cluster scores or the global score. The global score revealed a significant group by time interaction, reflecting the fact that the haloperidol group tended to improve initially and then stay stable, whereas the risperidone group improved more gradually over the follow-up period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study did not provide support for neurocognitive advantages of a newer antipsychotic medication over a low-dose conventional medication. We speculate that conventional medications may have neurocognitive benefits at low doses that are neutralized or reversed at higher doses.
authors.affiliation: Veterans Affairs VISN 22 Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA.
authors.forename: Michael F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: Stephen R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Marder
authors.forename: Shirley M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Glynn
authors.forename: Susan R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: McGurk
authors.forename: William C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Wirshing
authors.forename: Donna A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Wirshing
authors.forename: Robert P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Liberman
authors.forename: Jim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mintz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D018967:Risperidone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D006220:Haloperidol; D018967:Risperidone