title: Health-related quality of life among patients treated with lurasidone: results from a switch trial in patients with schizophrenia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with schizophrenia frequently switch between antipsychotics, underscoring the need to achieve and maintain important treatment outcomes such as health-related quality of life (HRQoL) following the switch. This analysis evaluated HRQoL changes among patients with schizophrenia switched from their current antipsychotic to lurasidone.
  
  
  METHODS
  Stable but symptomatic outpatients with schizophrenia were switched from their current antipsychotic to lurasidone in a six-week, open-label trial. HRQoL was assessed using two validated patient-reported measures, the Personal Evaluation of Transitions in Treatment (PETiT) scale and the Short-Form 12 (SF-12). Total and domain scores (psychosocial function and adherence-related attitude) were assessed using the PETiT scale; patients' mental and physical component summary scores (MCS and PCS) were assessed using the SF-12. Changes in HRQoL from baseline to study endpoint were compared using ANCOVA, with baseline score, treatment, and pooled site as covariates. Changes were assessed among all patients and those switched from specific antipsychotics to lurasidone.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The analysis included 235 patients with data on the PETiT and SF-12 who had received ≥ 1 dose of lurasidone. Statistically significant improvements were observed from baseline to study endpoint on the PETiT total (mean change [SD]: 3.2 [8.5]) and psychosocial functioning (2.5 [6.9]) and adherence-related attitude (0.7 [2.6]) domain scores (all p ≤ 0.002). When examined by preswitch antipsychotic, significant improvements in PETiT total scores were observed in patients switched from quetiapine, risperidone, aripiprazole, and ziprasidone (all p < 0.03) but not olanzapine (p = 0.893). Improvements on the SF-12 MCS score were observed for all patients (mean change [SD]: 3.7 [11.5], p < 0.001) and for those switched from quetiapine or aripiprazole (both p < 0.03). The SF-12 PCS scores remained comparable to those at baseline in all patient groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings indicate that patients switching from other antipsychotics to lurasidone experienced statistically significant improvement of HRQoL, based on PETiT scores, within six weeks of treatment. Patient health status remained stable with respect to the SF-12 physical component and showed improvement on the mental component. Changes in HRQoL varied based on the antipsychotic used before switching to lurasidone.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  NCT01143077.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. gawad@hrrh.on.ca.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Awad
authors.forename: Mariam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hassan
authors.forename: Antony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Loebel
authors.forename: Jay
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Andrei
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pikalov
authors.forename: Krithika
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rajagopalan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000068180:Aripiprazole; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003987:Dibenzothiazepines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D057915:Drug Substitution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D054833:Isoindoles / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000069056:Lurasidone Hydrochloride; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077152:Olanzapine; D010045:Outpatients; D010879:Piperazines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011788:Quality of Life; D000069348:Quetiapine Fumarate; D015363:Quinolones / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018967:Risperidone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013844:Thiazoles / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D003987:Dibenzothiazepines; D054833:Isoindoles; D010879:Piperazines; D015363:Quinolones; D013844:Thiazoles; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D000069348:Quetiapine Fumarate; C092292:ziprasidone; D000068180:Aripiprazole; D018967:Risperidone; D000077152:Olanzapine; D000069056:Lurasidone Hydrochloride