Efectividad y seguridad de risperidona a largo plazo en pacientes diagnosticados de esquizofrenia

Abstract

Background: Following the introduction of the atypical antipsychotic drugs and in contrast with their efficacy and short and medium term effectiveness1-8, a follow up of schizophrenic patients treated with these drugs should be carried out to assess the efficacy and safety of these drugs over longer periods of time. Patients and Methods: To determine the incidence and severity of unwanted side effects and to study the long-term effectiveness of the drug, an open, prospective drug surveillance study was designed with risperidone. The study was carried out over an 18-month period during which a total of 418 schizophrenic patients (CIE-10 criteria) were included. The evaluation of the patients was performed by the GCI (Global Clinical Impression) scale of disease severity, the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and the Short version of the disability assessment scale (DAS-SV). The assessment of the safety of the treatment was undertaken by the spontaneous report of the adverse reactions observed during the study period and the UKU subscale for neurological adverse effects. In addition, a study was carried out on the evolution of the doses of risperidone used and their influence on the study parameters. Results: During the 18 months of follow up, a continuous improvement was observed as shown by the scores of the psychopathological evaluation scales (BPRS and GCI) and the disability of the patients (DAS-SV). Likewise, an improvement was seen in the scores of the subscale of extrapyramidal symptoms of the UKU scale. Conclusions: Risperidone is effective and well tolerated in the long-term treatment of schizophrenic patients.