RISPERIDONE COMPARED WITH BOTH LITHIUM AND HALOPERIDOL IN MANIA - A DOUBLE-BLIND RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL

Case reports and studies of other neuroleptics suggest the efficacy of risperidone in the treatment of mania. Forty-five inpatients with DSM -IV mania were studied in a 28-day randomized, controlled, double-blin d trial of either 6 mg daily of risperidone, 10 mg daily of haloperido l, or 800 to 1200 mg daily of lithium. The patients in all three group s showed a similar improvement on the total score for all rating scale s at day 28 (Brief Psychiatric rating scale: lithium 9.1, haloperidol 4.9, risperidone 6.5, F = 1.01, df = 2, p = 0.37; Mania rating scale: lithium 15.7, haloperidol 10.2, risperidone 12.4, F = 1.07, df = 2,p = 0.35 [analysis of variance]). The Global Assessment of Functioning an d Clinical Global Impression data showed a similar pattern of improvem ent. This Study suggests that risperidone is of equivalent efficacy to lithium and haloperidol in the management of acute mania. The extrapy ramidal side effects of risperidone and haloperidol were not significa ntly different.