title: Long-acting injectable risperidone: safety and efficacy in stable patients switched from conventional depot antipsychotics.
abstract: Long-acting injectable risperidone was assessed in schizophrenia patients who were symptomatically stable on conventional depot antipsychotics and who were then switched to long-acting risperidone. Participants in this open-label, multicentre, 12-week trial had received flupenthixol decanoate, fluphenazine decanoate, haloperidol decanoate, or zuclopenthixol decanoate for 4 months or longer. Each was considered symptomatically stable by investigators. After receiving two cycles of their conventional depot antipsychotic during the run-in period, patients were switched to receive long-acting risperidone every 2 weeks for 12 weeks at an initial dose of 25 mg. This dose could be increased in 12.5-mg increments at 4-week intervals. Ninety-two percent of the patients received all six injections; 62% received the 25-mg dose throughout the treatment period. Adverse events related to movement disorders were reported in 3%. Severity of movement disorders decreased during long-acting risperidone treatment. Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) total and factor scores and scores on the Clinical Global Impressions severity scale were significantly reduced during treatment; 48% of these stable patients showed further symptom improvement (> or =20% decrease in PANSS score at endpoint). The results indicate that patients with schizophrenia who are symptomatically stable during treatment with a conventional depot antipsychotic can be safely and effectively switched to long-acting injectable risperidone without a prior transition to oral risperidone.
authors.affiliation: The Larkfield Centre, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.forename: Els
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Eerdekens
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jacko
authors.forename: Mariëlle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eerdekens
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003006:Clopenthixol / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005475:Flupenthixol / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005476:Fluphenazine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D018967:Risperidone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; C029674:clopenthixol decanoate; C007761:flupenthixol decanoate; D003006:Clopenthixol; C033563:haloperidol decanoate; D005475:Flupenthixol; C011825:fluphenazine depot; D006220:Haloperidol; D018967:Risperidone; D005476:Fluphenazine