title: Late potentials in the signal-averaged electrocardiogram in schizophrenia patients maintained on antipsychotic agents: a preliminary naturalistic study.
abstract: In the present, preliminary, naturalistic study, cardiac ventricular late potentials (LPs), were measured in 33 physically healthy schizophrenia patients (13 - females and 26 - males, age - 45.5+/-8.8years) maintained on typical and atypical antipsychotic agents. These LPs represent delayed ventricular activation that might predispose to fatal ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death (SCD) in cardiac patients. Sixteen of the 33 patients ( approximately 48%) were found to be positive for LPs (compared to 3.7-6% in the general population). No association was found with any of the following: drug type, anti-cholinergic burden, daily dose of antipsychotic agents, age, gender, disease duration, QT(c) interval and QT dispersion. Further large-scale longitudinal prospective studies are warranted to substantiate our findings and to clarify their impact on the excess cardiac morbidity and mortality in schizophrenia patients.
authors.affiliation: Geha Mental Health Center, Campus Beilinson, Petah Tiqva, Israel; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. ENachshoni@clalit.org.il
authors.forename: Eitan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nahshoni
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Strasberg
authors.forename: Shula
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Imbar
authors.forename: Ofer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Rotem
authors.forename: Shay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gur
authors.forename: Hagai
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hermesh
authors.forename: Abaraham
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weizman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000503:physiopathology; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008133:Long QT Syndrome / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents