At the time of this review , seven AAPs were available in Canada : aripiprazole clozapine olanzapine paliperidone quetiapine risperidone ziprasidone
Schizophrenia is a mental illness that requires lifelong treatment and is associated with symptoms that include hallucinations , delusions , cognitive impairment , disorganized thoughts , social withdrawal , and low motivation .
Antipsychotic medications are effective at relieving the symptoms of schizophrenia , and they form the foundation of treatment .
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the safety and tolerability of high-dose quetiapine in patients with persistent symptoms of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder.
OBJECTIVE Quetiapine is often prescribed at higher than approved doses . We investigated the safety , tolerability , and efficacy of quetiapine > 800 mg/d . METHOD A trial was carried out from October 2003-September 2005 in 19 referral centers . Patients with DSM-IV schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder were r and omized on the basis of persistent symptoms of moderate severity ( < 30 % improvement in total Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale score after ≥ 4 weeks of quetiapine ) . The 8 week , double-blind study compared continuation of quetiapine 800 mg/d ( n = 43 ) versus 1,200 mg/d ( n = 88 ) . The primary outcome measure was emergent or worsening parkinsonism ( Simpson-Angus Scale ) . Secondary outcomes were adverse events , metabolic side effects , and symptom severity . RESULTS Mean doses obtained were 799 mg/d and 1,144 mg/d in the 800-mg/d and > 800-mg/d groups , respectively . Emergent or deteriorating parkinsonism in the high-dose group was 3.1 % greater ( 95 % CI , -7.8 % to 14.0 % ; P = .76 ) than in the 800-mg/d group , a value that was within the a priori limit of 16 % defined as noninferiority . Both doses of quetiapine  were safe and well tolerated . Weight gain was greater in the high-dose group ( 1.7 kg over 12 weeks ; ≥ 7 % body weight , n = 11 [ 12.5 % ] ) versus the 800-mg/d group ( 1.1 kg over 12 weeks ; ≥ 7 % body weight , n = 4 [ 9.3 % ] ) . The mean adjusted difference in weight gain ( 1.3 kg ) was greater in the high-dose group ( 95 % CI , 0.0 - 2.5 ; P = .044 ) . Symptom severity declined , with no significant difference between groups . CONCLUSIONS The results did not demonstrate any advantage for use of quetiapine outside the approved dose range . TRIAL REGISTRATION www . clinical trials.gov Identifier : NCT00328978
At the time of this review , seven AAPs were available in Canada : aripiprazole clozapine olanzapine paliperidone quetiapine risperidone ziprasidone
Schizophrenia is a mental illness that requires lifelong treatment and is associated with symptoms that include hallucinations , delusions , cognitive impairment , disorganized thoughts , social withdrawal , and low motivation .
Antipsychotic medications are effective at relieving the symptoms of schizophrenia , and they form the foundation of treatment .