CEREBRAL VENTRICULAR ENLARGEMENT AND NEUROLEPTIC RESPONSE IN CHRONIC-SCHIZOPHRENIA - PRELIMINARY FINDINGS WITH RISPERIDONE

In this pilot clinical study the aim was to investigate whether the cl inical response to a chronic treatment with risperidone was related to brain morphology. We evaluated the relationship between Ventricular-B rain Ratio (VBR), and clinical response to risperidone, as assessed th rough the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Eighteen chron ic schizophrenics (DSM III-R diagnostic criteria) were subjected to a computerized tomographic scan. For the total PANSS and each PANSS subs cale (Positive, Negative and General Psychopathology) the percentage c hange between baseline rating and the score measured at 28, 56 days an d 1 year of treatment was calculated. VBR was positively related to th e percentage decrement of the total PANSS score, the Negative subscale score and the General Psychopathology subscale score as measured at o ne year of continuous treatment with risperidone. There was no signifi cant differences between completers (subjects who complete the therapy with risperidone) (N = 8) and noncompleters (N = 10) when baseline cl inical characteristcs were compared. VBR was not significantly differe nt in the two subgroups.