Salivary flow rate in patients with schizophrenia on clozapine.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the change in salivary flow rate in patients with schizophrenia on clozapine and whether the change in salivary flow rate was dose related.


METHODS
Twenty male inpatients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia according to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision diagnostic criteria for research who were started on clozapine were recruited for the study. Unstimulated salivary flow rate was assessed at baseline and then weekly for 4 weeks using cotton swab method in 17 patients.


RESULTS
Repeated-measures analysis of variance showed a significant increase in salivary flow rate over time (F [2.37/37.94] = 3.134, P = 0.047, Greenhouse-Geisser correction, eta = 0.16). Also, there was a significant increase in salivary flow rate between weeks 2 and 3 (P < 0.05). There was no correlation between salivary flow rate and mean clozapine dose.


CONCLUSIONS
There was a significant increase in salivary flow rate from baseline after starting clozapine, with a significant increase from the second to the third week followed by a "plateau."
Praharaj
Samir Kumar
SK
Central Institute of Psychiatry, Kanke, Ranchi, Jharkhand-834 006, India. samirpsyche@yahoo.co.in
Jana
Amlan Kusum
AK
Goswami
Kausik
K
Das
Poonam R
PR
Goyal
Nishant
N
Sinha
Vinod Kumar
VK
D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003024:Clozapine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012472:Salivation / Q000187:drug effects*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012798:Sialorrhea / Q000139:chemically induced; D055815:Young Adult
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D003024:Clozapine