title: The Comparative Effects of Risperidone Long-Acting Injection and Paliperidone Palmitate on Social Functioning in Schizophrenia: A 6-Month, Open-Label, Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to compare the effects of risperidone long-acting injection (RLAI) and paliperidone palmitate (PP) on non-acute-phase social functioning in patients with schizophrenia.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this 6-month pilot, open-label, randomized controlled study, 30 patients with schizophrenia who had been treated with RLAI were randomly allocated to the RLAI continuation group or switched to the PP group. Patients were evaluated at baseline and 6 months with the Social Functioning Scale (SFS) as the primary outcome variable and University of California San Diego Performance-Based Skills Assessment Brief (UPSA-B), Social Emotional Cognition Task (SECT), Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), and Drug-Induced Extrapyramidal Symptoms Scale (DIEPSS) scores as secondary outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At baseline, the two groups did not significantly differ in demographic or clinical features. The two groups did not differ in total score changes for the UPSA-B, the SECT, the PANSS, and the DIEPSS. However, the total scores and the two subscales of the SFS, i.e. independence-competence and independence-performance, were more improved in the PP group compared to the RLAI group (total scores, p = 0.038; competence, p = 0.001, and performance, p = 0.007, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that PP may improve the total social functioning, independent life competence, and performance as compared to the RLAI group. However, these results are preliminary and need independent replication in larger samples before any definitive statement can be made.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, Kansai Medical University, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Yosuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Koshikawa
authors.forename: Yoshiteru
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takekita
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Shiho
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.forename: Ai
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Onohara
authors.forename: Naotaka
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sunada
authors.forename: Keiichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishida
authors.forename: Masafumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoshimura
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fabbri
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Serretti
authors.forename: Toshihiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kinoshita
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D000068882:Paliperidone Palmitate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D018967:Risperidone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012919:Social Behavior; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D018967:Risperidone; D000068882:Paliperidone Palmitate