ANTIPSYCHOTIC AND ANXIOLYTIC PROPERTIES OF RISPERIDONE, HALOPERIDOL, AND METHOTRIMEPRAZINE IN SCHIZOPHRENIC-PATIENTS

The subjects were 62 patients hospitalized for acute exacerbations of schizophrenia and were randomly assigned to receive risperidone (mean dose, 7.4 mg/day), haloperidol (7.6 mg/day), or methotrimeprazine (100 mg/day) for 4 weeks. Clinical improvement, defined a priori as a 20% reduction in total Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) scores at end point, was attained by 81% of the risperidone patients, 60% of the haloperidol patients, and 52% of the methotrimeprazine patients ( p < 0.05). The reductions in total PANSS and Clinical Global Impressio n Scale severity scores from baseline to end point were significantly greater in the risperidone patients than in the other two groups. Redu ctions in scores on the Psychotic Anxiety Scale were significantly gre ater in the risperidone patients than the methotrimeprazine patients; the difference between haloperidol and methotrimeprazine was not signi ficant. Extrapyramidal symptoms (scores on the Extrapyramidal Symptom Rating Scale) mere more severe in the haloperidol patients than in the other two groups, but few differences were apparent between risperido ne and methotrimeprazine patients. It is concluded that risperidone is an effective antipsychotic and anxiolytic agent in schizophrenic pati ents.