title: Amisulpride for older patients with long-standing schizophrenia.
abstract: A large and growing number of older people across the world experience schizophrenia. Recommendations for their treatment are largely based on data extrapolated from studies of the use of antipsychotic medications in younger populations. The present study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of amisulpride monotherapy in a diagnostically homogeneous group of elderly patients without cognitive impairment experiencing schizophrenia (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision criteria for schizophrenia). Mortality and rehospitalization for a 5-year period were the predefined outcome measures. We conducted a retrospective chart review of all elderly (60 years and older) schizophrenia patients treated in a large tertiary care center. Of the 527 elderly schizophrenia patients for a 5-year period (2007-2013), 30 patients, mean (SD) age of 67.5 (5.8) years, were treated with amisulpride monotherapy. There were 19 women and 11 men in the analyzed group. Mean duration of disease was 34.4 years. All had been exposed to at least 3 first- and second-generation antipsychotics before amisulpride treatment. Amisulpride was very well tolerated by the patients, and mortality rate (10% vs 19%) was significantly lower than that of other first- and second-generation antipsychotics (P < 0.02). Rehospitalization rates with amisulpride were significantly lower than those with other second-generation antipsychotics (P < 0.001). We tentatively conclude that our preliminary results demonstrate that amisulpride is an efficacious and safe atypical antipsychotic for the treatment for elderly schizophrenia patients.
authors.affiliation: From the Abarbanel Mental Health Center (MHC) Affiliated With the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Shani
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pridan
authors.forename: Yehuda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Baruch
authors.forename: Marnina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Swartz
authors.forename: Yoram
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Barak
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000077582:Amisulpride; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000639:trends*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013469:Sulpiride / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D013469:Sulpiride; D000077582:Amisulpride