Effect of olanzapine or risperidone treatment on some cognitive functions in a one-year follow-up of schizophrenia outpatients with prominent negative symptoms

Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2007 Nov;17(11):725-34. doi: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2007.04.003. Epub 2007 May 31.

Abstract

Aims: To compare olanzapine and risperidone outcome on some neurocognitive dimensions in chronic schizophrenia patients with prominent negative symptoms.

Method: We randomised and followed for 1 year 235 chronic schizophrenia outpatients with a SANS global score > or =10 to open-label flexible-dose treatment with olanzapine or risperidone. Clinical, functional and cognitive assessments [including the COGLAB battery reaction time, vigilance-span of apprehension (VSA) and a card-sorting task] were done periodically.

Results: There were no significant differences between olanzapine (n=120) and risperidone (n=115) treatments in the neurocognitive dimensions tested. Mean+/-SD doses were 12.2+/-5.8 mg/day of olanzapine and 4.9+/-2.0 mg/day of risperidone. Patients in the olanzapine group showed a significant improvement in the VSA total score, but the within-group change was modest (effect size of 0.26); the difference with the risperidone group was not significant (p=0.207). Patients in both groups showed a significant improvement in a composite measure of executive efficiency based on the card-sorting task, with within-group effect size of 0.21 (risperidone) and 0.35 (olanzapine); the between-group difference was not significant (p=0.164). At baseline, better functional status correlated with VSA. Patients scoring lower on VSA or executive efficiency at baseline improved more on these respective measures.

Conclusion: Modest pro-cognitive effects can also be found in chronic schizophrenia outpatients with prominent negative symptoms when treated with olanzapine or risperidone.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Multicenter Study
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Antipsychotic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Benzodiazepines / therapeutic use*
  • Cognition Disorders / drug therapy*
  • Cognition Disorders / epidemiology
  • Cognition Disorders / etiology
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Olanzapine
  • Outpatients
  • Pain Measurement
  • Reaction Time / drug effects
  • Risperidone / therapeutic use*
  • Schizophrenia / complications
  • Schizophrenia / epidemiology
  • Schizophrenic Psychology
  • Single-Blind Method
  • Social Behavior*
  • Spain / epidemiology

Substances

  • Antipsychotic Agents
  • Benzodiazepines
  • Risperidone
  • Olanzapine