title: Long-term outcomes in chronically hospitalized geriatric patients with schizophrenia: retrospective comparison of first generation and second generation antipsychotics.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Some groups have reported the longitudinal course of elderly poor outcome schizophrenic patients to be characterized by progressive decline in cognitive functions and functional capacity. Although many of these patients experience minimal reduction of psychotic symptoms, there may be beneficial effects of antipsychotic treatments on cognitive functions and functional capacity.
  
  
  METHODS
  This naturalistic study compared the longitudinal course of psychotic symptoms, cognitive functions and functional impairment in geriatric schizophrenic patients treated with first generation (N=97) or second generation (N=78) antipsychotic medications. Mixed effects linear regression analyses were used to examine the effects of treatment (first generation vs. second generation antipsychotic), time and treatment x time.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cognitive functions (Mini Mental State Examination time effect estimate=-.41, p<.001; ADAS-L Cog time effect estimate=.64, p<.001) and self-care skills (ADAS-L Self-Care time effect estimate=.65, p<.001) declined over time for the subject group as a whole and this decline was not modified by treatment with second generation antipsychotics relative to first generation antipsychotics. Similarly, second generation antipsychotic treatment produced no effect on the progressive worsening of negative symptom over time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This long-term naturalistic study of poor outcome geriatric patients with schizophrenia did not find atypical antipsychotics to produce any differential protective effect relative to typical antipsychotics on the long-term manifestations of symptoms, cognition and self-care in poor outcome geriatric schizophrenic patients.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Neuroscience Center, Pilgrim Psychiatric Center, West Brentwood, NY 11717, USA. pgcnlww@omh.state.my.us
authors.forename: Leonard
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: Joseph I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.forename: Christopher R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Bowie
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Evers
authors.forename: Philip D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Parrella
authors.forename: Emilian
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mihaila
authors.forename: Kenneth L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Davis
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012648:Self Care; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents