[Latin America: clinical responses to the antipsychotic drugs].
OBJECTIVE
To compare the effectiveness of a 12 months antipsychotic monotherapy treatment with Olanzapine, risperidone and an atypical antipsychotic drug in Latin American patients with schizophrenia.


METHODS
The outcomes of effectiveness and tolerability were evaluated in outpatients with schizophrenia belonging to a large sample (N=7658) in a prospective, international trial carried out in 27 countries. The results for the population of Latin America were presented.


RESULTS
The probabilities of response were higher for Olanzapine than Risperidone and the atypical antipsychotic drugs. (p < or = 0.05) and for risperidone compared with the atypical antipsychotic drugs. (p < or = 0.05). Olanzapine was better tolerated as regarding the extrapiramidals symptoms and the sexual disfunction, although it was associated to a higher weight gain, as compared to the other groups of the trial.


CONCLUSIONS
the trial indicated that in the Latin American patients with schizophrenia, it is likely that Olanzapine induces clinical responses and has lower incidences on side effects, when compared with risperidone or atypical antipsychotic drugs.
Assunção
Sheila
S
Médica de Investigación Clinica, Eli Lilly and Company, San Pablo, SP, Brasil. sheilat72@comcast.net
Jiménez
José
J
Pacheco
Nora
N
Navarro Marún
Fabiola
F
Quintero
Douglas
D
Aspilcueta Flores
Isabel
I
Pérez Desanti
Carlos L
CL
Rosado-Franco
Arsenio
A
Tapia Paniagua
Guillermo
G
Nieto Caraveo
Amado
A
Sanchez Cázares
Sergio
S
Aguilar Gasca
Jaime
J
Landa Fournais
Erick
E
Leadbetter
Joanna
J
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007843:Latin America; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D000077152:Olanzapine; D018967:Risperidone / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D018967:Risperidone; D000077152:Olanzapine