Reduced short-term obsessive-compulsive symptoms in schizophrenic patients treated with risperidone: a single-blind prospective study.
BACKGROUND
Risperidone is a widely used agent as first-line treatment in schizophrenia with a favorable side-effect profile. However, a number of case reports have suggested an increase in obsessive-compulsive symptoms in patients treated with risperidone.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of risperidone on obsessive-compulsive symptoms in the treatment of schizophrenia.


METHODS
Forty patients with DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia were included in the study. The Yale-Brown obsessive compulsive scale was administered before, at the end of first and second months of treatment. Paired-samples t-test was used to compare the three assessments.


RESULTS
There was not an increase, but a significant decrease, in YBOCS scores over time during risperidone treatment (p<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
In the present study risperidone caused a significant decrease in obsessive-compulsive symptoms in the treatment of schizophrenia.
Veznedaroglu
Baybars
B
Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Ege University, Bornova, Izmir, Turkey. veznedaroglu@superonline.com
Ercan
Eyup Sabri
ES
Kayahan
Bulent
B
Varan
Azmi
A
Bayraktar
Erhan
E
D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018967:Risperidone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D018967:Risperidone