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

Optimal cutoff scores of the Chinese version of 15-item negative symptom assessment that indicate prominent negative symptoms of schizophrenia

Objective

The Chinese version of 15-item negative symptom assessment (NSA-15) is an instrument with a three-factor structure specifically validated for assessing negative symptoms of schizophrenia. To provide a reference for future practical applications in the recognition of schizophrenia patients with negative symptoms, this study aimed to determine an appropriate NSA-15 cutoff score regarding negative symptoms to identify prominent negative symptoms (PNS).

Methods

A total of 199 participants with schizophrenia were recruited and divided into the PNS group (n = 79) and non-PNS group (n = 120) according to scale for assessment of negative symptoms (SANS) scores. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to determine the optimal NSA-15 cutoff score for identifying PNS.

Results

The optimal cutoff NSA-15 score for identifying PNS was 40. Communication, emotion and motivation factors in the NSA-15 had cutoffs of 13, 6, and 16, respectively. The communication factor score had slightly better discrimination than scores on the other two factors. The discriminant ability of the global rating of the NSA-15 was not as good as that of the NSA-15 total score (area under the curve (AUC): 0.873 vs. 0.944).

Conclusion

The optimal NSA-15 cutoff scores for identifying PNS in schizophrenia were determined in this study. The NSA-15 provides a convenient and easy-to-use assessment for identifying patients with PNS in Chinese clinical situations. The communication factor of the NSA-15 also has excellent discrimination.

A synergistic effect between family intervention and rTMS improves cognitive and negative symptoms in schizophrenia: A randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE

The present study explored an efficient new therapy that combined repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and family intervention in addition to risperidone to improve schizophrenia.

METHODS

A randomized controlled trial (January 2016-September 2017) involving 200 patients, of which 188 patients completed the 12-week study, and 50 controls were conducted in the research. The patients were randomly assigned to 12 weeks of treatment with risperidone alone (risperidone group), rTMS and risperidone (rTMS group), family intervention and risperidone (family intervention group), rTMS and risperidone plus family intervention (combined group). MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB) and the Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS) were used to evaluate treatment efficacy. Repeated measures analysis of variance (RMANOVA) were performed to evaluate different treatment efficacy between four groups after 12 weeks of treatment.

RESULTS

(1) There were no significant differences in sex, age, education, cognitive function, or PANSS scores between the four groups at baseline (p's > 0.05). (2) There was a significant decrease in the PANSS scores and an increase in the MCCB scores after 12 weeks of treatment in all groups (time effect p's < 0.001). (3) The improvements in positive symptoms and negative symptoms were more obvious in the combined group than in other groups (p's < 0.05). (4) The combined group showed the superior effect in cognition function after 12 weeks. (5) And, interestingly, a remarkable synergistic effect between rTMS and family intervention therapy was observed.

CONCLUSION

There was a synergistic effect between rTMS and the family intervention as an effective combined therapy in improving schizophrenia. This study is registered with Chictr.org, number ChiCTR1900024422 (http://www.chictr.org.cn/edit.aspx?pid=34285&htm=4).

Pro-cognitive effect of 1MeTIQ on recognition memory in the ketamine model of schizophrenia in rats: the behavioural and neurochemical effects

RATIONALE

Schizophrenia is a mental illness which is characterised by positive and negative symptoms and by cognitive impairments. While the major prevailing hypothesis is that altered dopaminergic and/or glutamatergic transmission contributes to this disease, there is evidence that the noradrenergic system also plays a role in its major symptoms.

OBJECTIVES

In the present paper, we investigated the pro-cognitive effect of 1-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline (1MeTIQ) an endogenous neuroprotective compound, on ketamine-modelled schizophrenia in rats.

METHODS

We used an antagonist of NMDA receptors (ketamine) to model memory deficit symptoms in rats. Using the novel object recognition (NOR) test, we investigated the pro-cognitive effect of 1MeTIQ. Additionally, olanzapine, an atypical antipsychotic drug, was used as a standard to compare the pro-cognitive effects of the substances. In vivo microdialysis studies allowed us to verify the changes in the release of monoamines and their metabolites in the rat striatum.

RESULTS

Our study demonstrated that 1MeTIQ, similarly to olanzapine, exhibits a pro-cognitive effect in NOR test and enhances memory disturbed by ketamine treatment. Additionally, in vivo microdialysis studies have shown that ketamine powerfully increased noradrenaline release in the rat striatum, while 1MeTIQ and olanzapine completely antagonised this neurochemical effect.

CONCLUSIONS

1MeTIQ, as a possible pro-cognitive drug, in contrast to olanzapine, expresses beneficial neuroprotective activity in the brain, increasing concentration of the extraneuronal dopamine metabolite, 3-methoxytyramine (3-MT), which plays an important physiological role in the brain as an inhibitory regulator of catecholaminergic activity. Moreover, we first demonstrated the essential role of noradrenaline release in memory disturbances observed in the ketamine-model of schizophrenia, and its possible participation in negative symptoms of the schizophrenia.

Relationship between olfactory function and social cognition in euthymic bipolar patients

OBJECTIVE/INTRODUCTION

There is a close functional and neuroanatomical relationship between olfactory ability and emotional processing. The present study seeks to explore the association between olfactory ability and social cognition, especially facial emotion perception, in euthymic bipolar patients.

METHODS

Thirty-nine euthymic outpatients meeting DSM-IV-TR criteria for bipolar disorder and 40 healthy volunteers matched on socio-demographic criteria were recruited. Both groups were assessed at one time point with the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT), the Emotion Recognition Test, and The Faux Pas Recognition Test, as well as measures of general cognition and functioning.

RESULTS

The bipolar patients showed a significant impairment in olfactory identification (UPSIT) and social cognition measures compared to healthy controls. Analyses revealed significant relationships between olfactory identification and facial emotion recognition, theory of mind, general cognition, and a trend-level relationship with functioning. Controlling for age and cigarettes smoked, relationships remained significant between olfactory function and facial emotion recognition.

CONCLUSION

There is a deficit of olfactory identification in euthymic patients with bipolar disorder that is correlated with a deficit in both verbal and non-verbal measures of social cognition.

Second-generation antipsychotic effect on cognition in patients with schizophrenia--a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect of second-generation antipsychotics on cognitive function in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder.

METHOD

Multiple-treatments meta-analysis model.

RESULTS

On cognitive composite score, sertindole was superior to clozapine, effect size (ES) 0.87; 95% CI: 0.12-1.63, quetiapine, ES 0.75; 95% CI: 0.00-1.49, and first-generation antipsychotics (FGAs), ES 0.89; 95% CI: 0.14-1.64. Analyses on each cognitive domain showed clozapine, ES 0.37; 95% CI: 0.00-0.74, olanzapine, ES 0.31; 95%CI: 0.02-0.59, quetiapine, ES 0.34; 95% CI: 0.03-0.64, and FGAs, ES 0.51; 95% CI: 0.18-0.83 performing poorer on verbal working memory than ziprasidone, as well as FGAs performing poorer than risperidone, ES 0.31; 95% CI: 0.04-0.58. On executive function, sertindole performed better than clozapine, ES 0.82; 95% CI: 0.06-1.58, olanzapine, ES 0.81; 95% CI: 0.07-1.55, quetiapine, ES 0.76; 95% CI: 0.02-1.51, ziprasidone, ES 0.90; 95% CI: 0.14-1.67, and FGAs, ES 0.83; 95% CI: 0.08-1.58. On processing speed, FGAs performed poorer than sertindole, ES 0.97; 95% CI: 0.02-1.91, and quetiapine, ES 0.36; 95% CI: 0.01-0.72. On long-term verbal working memory, clozapine performed poorer than olanzapine, ES 0.41; 95% CI: 0.06-0.76. On verbal fluency, FGAs performed poorer than olanzapine, ES 0.26; 95% CI: 0.01-0.50, and clozapine, ES 0.44; 95% CI: 0.06-0.81. Lastly, FGAs, ES 0.41; 95% CI: 0.04-0.78, and clozapine, ES 0.44; 95% CI: 0.05-0.83, performed poorer on visuospatial skill compared to olanzapine.

CONCLUSION

The meta-analysis was able to detect some trends in the data analyzed, but did not show any drug having a uniform positive cognitive profile.

Spontaneous parkinsonism is associated with cognitive impairment in antipsychotic-naive patients with first-episode psychosis: a 6-month follow-up study

There is now growing evidence that parkinsonism and other extrapyramidal signs are highly prevalent in patients with first-episode psychosis who have never been exposed to antipsychotic drugs. However, the neurocognitive correlates of parkinsonism in this population remained to be clarified. A sample comprising 100 consecutive drug-naive patients with first-episode psychosis were enrolled on the study and followed up for 6 months. Seventy-seven completed assessments at 3 time points (baseline, 1 mo, and 6 mo), involving clinical and cognitive examinations and a specific assessment of motor abnormalities. The Simpson-Angus Scale (SAS) was used for the assessment of extrapyramidal signs, and each motor domain was evaluated with a standard assessment scale. Linear mixed models were built to explore the longitudinal relationships between parkinsonism scores and cognitive impairment. Parkinsonism scores showed significant strong longitudinal associations with deficits in memory, executive functioning, and attention. Spontaneous parkinsonism (total SAS score and hypokinesia and rigidity subscores at baseline) showed high 6-month predictive values for cognitive impairment. In addition, they also had high predictive values for neurologic soft-sign abnormalities but not for dyskinesia, akathisia, and pure catatonic abnormalities. No predictive value was found for glabella-salivation or tremor subscores on the SAS scale. These results emphasize the relevance of the assessment of parkinsonism signs prior to starting to administer antipsychotic drugs, as core manifestations of psychotic illness with a high predictive value for cognitive impairment.

Duration of untreated negative and positive symptoms of psychosis and cognitive impairment in first episode psychosis

BACKGROUND

Duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) has been significantly associated with poor clinical and social outcomes in First Episode Psychosis (FEP) patients, but an association with cognitive outcomes has not been clearly established.

METHOD

Seventy-seven consecutively admitted, drug-naïve patients with FEP were assessed at baseline and at 1month and 6months. Underlying dimensions of DUP (general prodrome and positive, negative and disorganisation symptoms) were assessed using the Symptom Onset in Schizophrenia (SOS) inventory (Perkins et al., 2000). To assess the effect of DUP on the neuropsychological status of the patients, a linear mixed-effect model was fitted to each neuropsychological dimension. These models included a dichotomised version of DUP (short versus long duration) as a fixed effect, several adjusting variables to account for patient differences, and a random effect to incorporate the longitudinal structure of the data.

RESULTS

Patients with a short duration of untreated negative symptoms (DUNS) or a short duration of untreated positive symptoms (DUPS) outperformed patients with a long duration of untreated symptoms on memory tasks and a pre-attentional visual task but not on measures of verbal fluency, attention, reaction time, visual processing and executive functions.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides additional support for an early intervention to shorten DUP to facilitate a better outcome in memory and attentional domains of FEP patients.

Improvement of cognitive flexibility and cingulate blood flow correlates after atypical antipsychotic treatment in drug-naive patients with first-episode schizophrenia

The aim of this study was to examine the changes in cognitive flexibility and associated cerebral blood flow in the anterior cingulate lobe of drug-naive patients with first-episode schizophrenia who were treated with atypical antipsychotics for 6 weeks. Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) images were obtained from 8 healthy subjects both at rest and while performing the flexibility subtest of the TAP (Test for Attentional Performance). SPECT images were obtained in parallel from 8 first-episode drug-naive schizophrenic patients while they were performing the same task both before and after 6 weeks of neuroleptic treatment. In the control group, an increase in the perfusion indices of the dorsal section of the anterior cingulate gyrus was observed in the activation condition. Task performance was altered and the level of perfusion of the brain region related to the task execution was significantly decreased in the patients at baseline. After treatment, there was a significant improvement in both task performance and the level of perfusion of the dorsal section of the anterior cingulate. We conclude that treatment with second-generation neuroleptics improves cognitive flexibility, and there was a relationship between such improvements and normalization of perfusion indices of the involved brain areas.

Short term neurocognitive effects of treatment with ziprasidone and olanzapine in recent onset schizophrenia

BACKGROUND

Cognitive deficits are a core feature in schizophrenia. Cognitive deficits appear to be present at the onset of schizophrenia and persist after remission of psychotic symptoms. As cognitive deficits are associated with poor functional outcome, they form an important focus of treatment. There are relatively few head-to-head comparisons of the effects of second generation antipsychotics on cognition in recent onset schizophrenia. This is the first study to compare the effects of a short term treatment of olanzapine versus ziprasidone on cognitive functioning in recent onset schizophrenia. An earlier study conducted in chronic patients revealed an enhancement of cognition after treatment for both agents, but the extent of improvement was not significantly different between ziprasidone and olanzapine.

METHOD

Patients with recent onset schizophrenia with limited previous exposure to medical treatment underwent a double blind randomized controlled treatment trial. Fifty-six patients completed the neuropsychological testing procedure prior to randomization and after eight weeks of treatment and were included in the analysis. We tested cognitive functioning in general and verbal memory in particular. We calculated a single unweighted composite score based on nine cognitive tests to determine general cognitive functioning.

RESULTS

Cognition appeared enhanced after treatment, but was not significantly different between treatment groups, neither for the verbal memory measures, nor for the neurocognitive composite score. Furthermore, cognitive enhancement did not correlate to clinical improvement.

CONCLUSION

Cognitive deficits are not a reason for preferentially prescribing one of the two second generation antipsychotics tested over the other.

Risperidone dose for schizophrenia

BACKGROUND

Risperidone is a widely used antipsychotic drug for people with schizophrenia. It is important to get a balance between gaining the most positive effects for the least negative outcomes. The optimal dose of risperidone is the focus of this review.

OBJECTIVES

To determine risperidone dose response relationships for schizophrenia and schizophrenia-like psychoses.

SEARCH STRATEGY

We searched the Cochrane Schizophrenia Groups Trials Register (July 2008) for all relevant references.

SELECTION CRITERIA

All relevant randomised controlled clinical trials (RCTs).

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently extracted data and resolved disagreement by discussion with a third member of the team. When insufficient data were provided, we contacted the study authors. For homogenous dichotomous data we calculated fixed-effect relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) on an intention-to-treat basis. For continuous data, we calculated weighted mean differences (MD).

MAIN RESULTS

A consistent finding when risperidone ultra low doses (<2 mg/day) were compared with other doses (short-term data) was that more people left early because of insufficient response (n=456, 1 RCT, RR when compared with standard-low (>==4-<6 mg/day) 12.48 CI 1.43 to 4.30). The insufficient response for this low dose is reflected in measures of mental state. When low doses (>==2-<4 mg/day) are used and compared with standard-higher doses (>==6-<10 mg/day) and the high dose range (>==10 mg/day), more people left early because of insufficient response (>==4-<6 mg/day: n=173, 2 RCTs, RR 4.05 CI 1.09 to 15.07; >==10 mg/day: n=173, 2 RCTs, RR 1.92 CI 1.36 to 2.70). For the outcome of 'no clinically important improvement' results favour standard-higher doses (n=272, 2 RCTs, RR 2.26 CI 0.81 to 6.34). When low doses are compared with other higher doses, we found no differences in terms of cardiovascular, CNS, endocrine or gastrointestinal adverse effects. Unspecified EPS were more frequent with the higher doses (>==10 mg: n=262, 2 RCTs, RR 0.45 CI 0.24 to 0.84). One trial did find that endpoint scores on PANSS significantly favoured a low dose when compared with >==4-6 mg/day (n=124, 1 RCT, MD -12.40 CI -17.01 to -7.79). When >==4-<6 mg/day is compared with high doses, less people left early (n=677, 1 RCT, RR leaving any reason 0.74 CI 0.54 to 1.00; n=677, 1 RCT, RR due to adverse effects 0.56 CI 0.32 to 0.97). >==4-<6 mg/day was no worse than >==6-<10 mg/day for 'no clinically important improvement' (n=39, 1 RCT, RR on CGI-I 0.79 CI 0.29 to 2.17). People allocated >==4-<6 mg/day had more movement disorders than those on a low dose (n=124 1 RCT, RR 2.28 CI 1.67 to 3.11). When >==6-<10 mg/day is compared with standard-lower doses and a high dose range, there is no significant difference in terms of proportions leaving early. >==6-<10 mg/day is better than a low dose for 'no clinical important improvement' (n=172, 2 RCTs, RR 0.76 CI 0.61 to 0.94). Overall >==6-<10 mg/day caused less problems especially in EPS when compared with >==10mg/day (n=261, 2 RCTs, RR unspecified EPS 0.56 CI 0.31 to 0.99). When a high dose was compared with a low dose less people left early (n=70, 1 RCT, RR 0.43 CI 0.26 to 0.71) but not when compared with a standard-lower dose (n=677, 1 RCT, RR leaving due to adverse event 1.78 CI 1.03 to 3.09). >==10 mg/day was better than a low dose in terms of 'no clinical important improvement' (n=257, 2 RCTs, RR 0.64 CI 0.50 to 0.82), but worse than a standard-higher dose (>==6-<10 mg/day: n=255, 2 RCTs, RR 1.22 CI 1.00 to 1.51). >==10 mg/day caused more unspecified EPS adverse effects and any drug for adverse events when compared with a standard-higher dose and with a low dose.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

There is still lack of strong evidence for an optimal dose for clinical practice. The quality of trials suggests that an over estimate of effect is likely and we think this is most probably for the mid-range doses. One such dose (standard-lower dose range, 4-<6 mg/day) does seem optimal for clinical response and adverse effects. Weak evidence suggests that low doses (>==2-<4 mg/day) may be of value for people in their first episode of illness. High doses (>==10 mg/day) did not confer any advantage over any other dose ranges and caused more adverse effects, especially for movement disorders. Ultra low dose (<2 mg/day) seemed useless. We advise the use of dosages from low dose to standard-lower dose for different kinds of individual patients. Future trials should focus on specific populations, e.g. those in their first episode, with acute exacerbation, in relapse or refractory to treatment, and should also test the optimal dose of risperidone over a longer period of time and in the community.