title: Adjunctive aripiprazole in risperidone-induced hyperprolactinaemia: double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hyperprolactinaemia is a troublesome side-effect of treatment with antipsychotics.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This double-blind, placebo-controlled study aimed at examining the effect of adjunctive treatment with 10 mg aripiprazole on prolactin levels and sexual side-effects in patients with schizophrenia symptomatically maintained on risperidone.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty patients taking risperidone were enrolled into the trial (CTRI/2012/11/003114). Aripiprazole was administered at a fixed daily dose of 10 mg/day for 8 weeks. Serum prolactin was measured at baseline and at 8 weeks. Hyperprolactinaemia-related problems, psychopathology and side-effects were evaluated every 2 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prolactin levels decreased by 58% in the aripiprazole group compared with an increase by 22% in the placebo group. Prolactin levels normalised in 46% of patients in the aripiprazole group (number needed to treat, NNT=2). Aripiprazole improved erectile dysfunction in five out of six patients. There were no significant differences in change in psychopathology or side-effects between groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adjunctive aripiprazole reduced prolactin levels in those treated with risperidone, with no effect on psychopathology and extrapyramidal symptoms. This is a potential treatment for hyperprolactinaemia observed during treatment with second-generation antipsychotics.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  None.
  © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2015. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Non-Commercial, No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) licence.
authors.affiliation: , MBBS, DPM, MD, Department of Psychiatry, PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Coimbatore, India.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Raghuthaman
authors.affiliation: , MBBS, MD, Department of Child Psychiatry, CMC, Vellore, India.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Venkateswaran
authors.affiliation: , MBBS, MD, MRCPsych, PhD, ESTEEM, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Krishnadas