Factors influencing the clinical expression in patients with a schizophrenic syndrome treated with risperidone

In a national, multicentre, point-prevalence, naturalistic study the sympto matology was assessed by use of the PANSS rating scale in 104 schizophrenic patients during maintenance treatment with risperidone. The patient group consisted of 70 males and 34 females, mean age 37 +/- 12 years. Thirty-thre e of the patients were treated with risperidone only and the rest had diffe rent combinations of other psychotropic drugs, mainly other neuroleptics, a nticholinergics and benzodiazepines. The results showed that the type of present symptomatology in schizophrenia during maintenance psychotropic medication involving risperidone were depe ndent on sex, age, duration of illness, neuroleptic dose and type of additi onal medication. The explanation of this variation in current symptomatolog y may be a result of the disease process and/or effects of the antipsychoti c medication and/or other psychotropic medications.