Psychosocial Rehabilitation Training in the Treatment of Schizophrenia Outpatients: A Randomized, Psychosocial Rehabilitation training-and Monomedication-Controlled Study.

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of psychosocial rehabilitation intervention on schizophrenia. METHODOLOGY: One hundred forty schizophrenia outpatients in remission stage were randomized to either an antipsychotic monomedication (control group) or an antipsychotic monomedication plus a psychosocial rehabitation training (trial group). Positive and Negative syndrome Scale (PANSS), Disability Screening Schedule (SDSS) were performed longitudinally from baseline to month 18 to evaluate the efficacy. RESULTS: Significant difference in relapse rate between the control group (42.9%) and the trial group (18.6%) was found at month 18. In patients who didn't relapse, the trial group showed significantly lower PANSS and SDSS score (P<0.05) than did the control group after treatment. CONCLUSION: Psychosocial rehabilitation intervention could produce a better outcome in terms of reducing relapse and improving the social functioning in schizophrenia.

Comparison of risperidone oral solution and intramuscular haloperidol with the latter shifting to oral therapy for the treatment of acute agitation in patients with schizophrenia.

This randomized, parallel-group, open study investigated the efficacy and safety of risperidone oral solution (RIS-OS) in combination with clonazepam and intramuscular haloperidol for the treatment of acute agitation in patients with schizophrenia, and the study explored the possibility of decreasing the efficacy of an acute 6-week treatment by switching intramuscular haloperidol injection to RIS-OS. Two hundred and five agitation-exhibiting schizophrenic inpatients at six hospitals were originally included in the study. The 47-day trial consisted of 5 days (session I) of receiving either oral treatment (RIS-OS plus clonazepam) or intramuscular treatment (intramuscular haloperidol) and a 42-day (session II) period of either withdrawing from clonazepam or shifting from intramuscular haloperidol to a RIS-OS period. The primary efficacy outcome was measured as the change in the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale-Excited Component (PANSS-EC) in session I and the change in the PANSS in session II. Safety was assessed by the frequency of the adverse events. Mean PANSS-EC improvement was significant after 5 days of treatment in both groups (P>0.05) and was similar between the two treatment groups (P<0.01). Most patients' PANSS-EC scores improved or remained stable during the drawback/shift treatment period. Efficacy was not significantly different between the two treatment groups after the 6-week treatment (P>0.05). However, combination treatment exhibited greater efficacy, and adverse events, especially extrapyramidal symptoms, were lower with the oral treatment than with the intramuscular treatment in session I. These results show that RIS-OS in combination with clonazepam is an effective treatment, comparable with intramuscular haloperidol, and is well-tolerated for acute agitation in patients with schizophrenia.

[Effect of antipsychotic drugs on life quality of schizophrenic patients: one year follow-up study].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effect of 7 antipsychotic drugs on the life quality of schizophrenia patients including chlorpromazine, sulpiride, clozapine, risperidone, olanzapine, quetiapine, and aripiprazole. METHODS: A total of 1,227 stable schizophrenic patients within 5 years onset who took 1 of the 7 study medications as maintenance treatment were followed up for 1 year at 10 China sites. Patients were evaluated by the short form-36 health survey (SF-36) at the baseline and at the end of 1 year. RESULTS: The life quality was improved obviously at the end of the follow-up. There was significant difference in body pain, vitality, and mental health (P<0.05) among these antipsychotic drugs. CONCLUSION: All 7 antipsychotic drugs can improve the life quality of schizophrenia patients. Atypical antipsychotic drugs, especially olazapine and quetiapine, are superior to typical antipsychotic drugs in improving life quality.