title: Onset of action of atypical and typical antipsychotics in the treatment of acute psychosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Antipsychotic medications are the frontline treatment for the most psychotic disorders. The aim of this study is to compare the onset of action of the first and second generation antipsychotics and the rate of their side-effects in the treatment of acute psychosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a double-blind, controlled clinical trial, 40 acute psychotic patients were randomly allocated in four groups and treated with each of the four antipsychotics: olanzapine, risperidone, haloperidol or thiothixene. The onset of action of each drug was assessed by the Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale. The data were analyzed by Wilcoxon (Gehan) survival and Log Rank analysis, using SPSS version 20.0.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Initial response was observed in 97.5% (N = 39) of subjects during 2 weeks of intervention. The mean time to the first response was 6.15 ± 2.9 days and this was significantly shorter for risperidone than others. The most common side-effects were sedation and drug induced Parkinsonism.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Risperidone represented shorter onset of action for the treatment of acute psychotic symptoms compared with olanzapine, haloperidol and thiothixene.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed Ghafur
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Mousavi
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Hamze
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rostami
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Sharbafchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Azad University of Najaf Abad, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Atefeh Saeidi
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Boroujeni
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Behzad
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mahaki
keywords: Acute psychosis; antipsychotic; onset of action; response; side effect