title: Effect of blonanserin on cognitive function in antipsychotic-naïve first-episode schizophrenia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of blonanserin, a novel antipsychotic, on cognitive function in first-episode schizophrenia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four antipsychotic-naïve patients with first-episode schizophrenia participated in the study. Blonanserin was given in an open-label design for 8 weeks. The Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia-Japanese language version (BACS-J) was administered as the primary outcome measure at baseline and 8 weeks. Clinical evaluation included the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), the Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale-Japanese language version (SQLS-J), and the Clinical Global Impression-Severity of Illness Scale (CGI-S). To exclude the possibility of retest effects on the BACS-J, 10 age-matched patients with chronic schizophrenia treated with blonanserin were tested at baseline and after an 8-week interval.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty first-episode patients completed the study. Repeated measures analysis of covariance revealed a significant group-by-time interaction effect on the letter fluency task due to better performance in the first-episode group, but not in the control group. Main effect of time or group-by-time interaction effect on the Tower of London task was not significant; however, the first-episode group, but not the control group, showed substantial improvement with a moderate effect size. All items on the PANSS, SQLS-J, and CGI-S significantly improved after 8 weeks of treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that blonanserin improves some types of cognitive function associated with prefrontal cortical function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan. t2tenjin@marianna-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Tomomi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tenjin
authors.forename: Seiya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
authors.forename: Nobumi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Miyake
authors.forename: Shin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ogino
authors.forename: Rei
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kitajima
authors.forename: Kazuaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ojima
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Arai
authors.forename: Haruki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Teramoto
authors.forename: Sachiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tsukahara
authors.forename: Yukie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tadokoro
authors.forename: Kiriko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Anai
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Funamoto
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kaneda
authors.forename: Tomiki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sumiyoshi
authors.forename: Noboru
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010879:Piperazines / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010880:Piperidines / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D010879:Piperazines; D010880:Piperidines; C079310:blonanserin