Efficacy and safety of antipsychotic treatments for schizophrenia: A systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized trials in Japan

Valuable interaction with cognitive remediation and optimal antipsychotics for recovery in schizophrenia (VICTORY-S): study protocol for an interventional, open-label, randomized comparison of combined treatment with cognitive remediation and lurasidone or paliperidone

Background

Cognitive impairment, a core feature of schizophrenia, is associated with poor outcomes. Pharmacotherapy and psychosocial treatment, when used alone, have inadequate effect sizes for cognitive impairment, leading to recent interest in combination interventions. A previous study examined the additive effect of cognitive remediation on lurasidone in patients with schizophrenia, which was negative. Although improvement in cognitive function was suggested for lurasidone, it was inconclusive because there was no antipsychotic control in the study. To clarify whether lurasidone has a meaningful impact on cognitive function in combination with cognitive remediation, we use paliperidone as a control antipsychotic in this study. We hypothesize that combination with lurasidone will improve cognitive and social function to a greater extent than paliperidone.

Methods

The valuable interaction with cognitive remediation and optimal antipsychotics for recovery in schizophrenia study is a multicenter, interventional, open-label, rater-blind, randomized comparison study, comparing the effect of lurasidone plus cognitive remediation with that of paliperidone plus cognitive remediation in patients with schizophrenia. The Neuropsychological Educational Approach to Remediation (NEAR) is used for cognitive remediation. Eligible patients will be randomized 1:1 to receive lurasidone or paliperidone combined with NEAR (6 weeks antipsychotic alone followed by 24 weeks combination antipsychotic plus NEAR). The primary endpoint is the change from baseline in the tablet-based Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia composite T-score at the end of the NEAR combination treatment period. Secondary endpoints will include change from baseline in social function, schizophrenia symptoms, and quality of life at the end of the NEAR combination treatment period. Furthermore, change from baseline to the end of the pharmacotherapy period and change from the end of the pharmacotherapy period to the end of the NEAR combination treatment period will be assessed for all endpoints. Safety will also be evaluated.

Discussion

Achievement of adequate cognitive function is central to supporting social function, which is a key treatment goal for patients with schizophrenia. We think this study will fill in the gaps of the previous study and provide useful information regarding treatment decisions for patients with schizophrenia.

Clinical trial registration

Japan Registry of Clinical Trials ID, jRCTs031200338.

Influence of Antipsychotic Agents on the Sexuality of Patients Diagnosed with Schizophrenia

Background

Sexuality is a natural component of human behavior. The general population has been extensively studied since the first half of the 20th century. On the other hand, regarding patients treated for schizophrenia, discussing sexual disorders was initially considered inappropriate because it was believed they should not be sexually active. Given these findings, this work proposes to study the sexuality of patients with schizophrenia.

Objectives

Our objectives were to assess the sexuality of patients with schizophrenia, to identify factors associated with sexual dysfunction among these patients, and to determine practitioners' attitudes toward the sexuality of our study population.

Methods

This is a cross-sectional study carried out in the Psychiatry Department of Kairouan (outpatient department), including 46 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. A pre-established information sheet was completed for each patient recruited, including sociodemographic and clinical data; on the other hand, 3 scales ensured a sexual psychometric evaluation: Psychotropic-Related Sexual Dysfunction Questionnaire, Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale, and Changes in Sexual Functioning Questionnaire-Male Clinical Version.

Results

Concerning the evaluation of sexuality according to the scales used, sexual dysfunction according to Psychotropic-Related Sexual Dysfunction Questionnaire scores was observed in 31 patients (67.4%). According to Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale scores, 24 patients (52%) had a sexual dysfunction, and for the total score of the Changes in Sexual Functioning Questionnaire-Male Clinical Version, 27 patients (58.7%) had a sexual dysfunction. We cannot confirm the existence of a relationship between the dose of the current treatment (in chlorpromazine equivalent) used and the results of the test assessing sexuality. In addition to these results, we can deduce the existence of a statistically significant association between the antipsychotic agent used and the results of the Psychotropic-Related Sexual Dysfunction Questionnaire only.

Conclusions

We recommend that screening for sexual dysfunction in patients followed for schizophrenia should be systematic, regardless of the antipsychotic molecule type and dosage. In this regard, we recommend the establishment of a better therapeutic relationship between caregivers and patients with schizophrenia, based on empathy and trust, so that the latter feel comfortable enough to address the sexual dimension in general and sexual dysfunction in particular.

Efficacy and safety of blonanserin versus risperidone in the treatment of schizophrenia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of blonanserin and risperidone for the treatment of schizophrenia and to provide reliable pharmacotherapeutic evidence for in the clinical treatment of schizophrenia.

METHODS

We systematically searched the PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases for head-to-head randomized controlled trials that compared blonanserin with risperidone for the treatment of schizophrenia. We extracted the following data: author, year, country, diagnostic criteria, sample size, course of treatment, dosage and outcomes. Our main endpoint was the changes in the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) total scores. Meta-analysis of the included data was conducted by RevMan 5.3 software. We used the GRADE criteria to evaluate the certainty of the evidence.

RESULTS

A total of 411 studies were initially; 8 trials were eligible and were included in our analysis (N = 1386 participants). Regarding efficacy, there was no difference in changes in the PANSS total scores between the two groups (P > 0.05). In terms of safety, compared to risperidone, the incidence of serum prolactin increases and weight gain in the blonanserin group was lower (P<0.05), but the incidence of extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) was higher (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

The efficacy of blonanserin is similar to that of risperidone, but it is unclear whether blonanserin is more effective than risperidone at improving cognitive and social function. More high-quality studies are needed to verify the efficacy and safety of blonanserin in the future.

A new synthetic ultrasound-assisted method for dibenzoepines

In this study, we have developed a new ultrasonic synthesis method of dibenzoepines using olanzapine and quetiapine, which are well-known drugs for the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The method is based on the N-alkylation reaction of the piperazine fragment in tricyclic compounds with methyl iodide or 2-(2-chloroethoxy)ethanol as the alkylating agent, respectively. The synthesis reactions were carried out in an ultrasonic bath with solvents such as acetonitrile or dimethylformamide in the presence of potassium or sodium carbonate or sodium hydroxide and metal-free, ecological phase transfer catalyst at a temperature of 40-50 °C. This allowed us to obtain olanzapine in 1 h (Y = 67%), and quetiapine in 3 h (Y = 72%). An ultrasonic reactor (Qsonica Q700) was used in the synthesis of olanzapine and made it possible to shorten the reaction time to 10 min and obtain 90% yield with very high purity. The developed method allows obtaining compounds in mild conditions and in a short time, thanks to which the process is more ecological than others described in the literature.

Therapeutic Potential and Limitation of Serotonin Type 7 Receptor Modulation

Although a number of mood-stabilising atypical antipsychotics and antidepressants modulate serotonin type 7 receptor (5-HT7), the detailed contributions of 5-HT7 function to clinical efficacy and pathophysiology have not been fully understood. The mood-stabilising antipsychotic agent, lurasidone, and the serotonin partial agonist reuptake inhibitor, vortioxetine, exhibit higher binding affinity to 5-HT7 than other conventional antipsychotics and antidepressants. To date, the initially expected rapid onset of antidepressant effects-in comparison with conventional antidepressants or mood-stabilising antipsychotics-due to 5-HT7 inhibition has not been observed with lurasidone and vortioxetine; however, several clinical studies suggest that 5-HT7 inhibition likely contributes to quality of life of patients with schizophrenia and mood disorders via the improvement of cognition. Furthermore, recent preclinical studies reported that 5-HT7 inhibition might mitigate antipsychotic-induced weight gain and metabolic complication by blocking other monoamine receptors. Further preclinical studies for the development of 5-HT7 modulation against neurodevelopmental disorders and neurodegenerative diseases have been ongoing. To date, various findings from various preclinical studies indicate the possibility that 5-HT7 modifications can provide two independent strategies. The first is that 5-HT7 inhibition ameliorates the dysfunction of inter-neuronal transmission in mature networks. The other is that activation of 5-HT7 can improve transmission dysfunction due to microstructure abnormality in the neurotransmission network-which could be unaffected by conventional therapeutic agents-via modulating intracellular signalling during the neurodevelopmental stage or via loss of neural networks with aging. This review attempts to describe the current and novel clinical applications of 5-HT7 modulation based on preclinical findings.

Network Analysis of the Structure of the Core Symptoms and Clinical Correlates in Comorbid Schizophrenia and Gambling Disorder

Few studies have analyzed the clinical profile of treatment-seeking patients with the comorbid presence of schizophrenia (SCZ) and gambling disorder (GD), which warrants new research to assess the network structure of this complex mental condition. The aim of this study was to explore the organization of the symptoms and other clinical correlates of SCZ with GD. Network analysis was applied to a sample of N = 179 SCZ patients (age range: 19-70 years, mean=39.5, SD=9.9) who met clinical criteria for gambling disorder-related problems. Variables included in the network were the core GD symptoms according to the DSM-5, psychotic and paranoid ideation levels, global psychological distress, GD severity measures (debts and illegal behavior related with gambling), substances (tobacco, alcohol, and illegal drugs), and personality profile. The nodes with the highest authority in the network (variables of highest relevance) were personality traits and psychological distress. Four empirical modules/clusters were identified, and linkage analysis identified the nodes with the highest closeness (bridge nodes) to be novelty seeking and reward dependence (these traits facilitate the transition between the modules). Identification of the variables with the highest centrality/linkage can be particularly useful for developing precise management plans to prevent and treat SCZ with GD.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11469-022-00983-y.

Switching from blonanserin oral tablets/powders to transdermal patches alleviates extrapyramidal symptoms in patients with schizophrenia: A 52-week open-label study

Blonanserin is a second-generation antipsychotic for the treatment of schizophrenia. Blonanserin has two different routes of administration: oral tablets/powder and transdermal patches. The aim of this study was to investigate as a post-hoc analysis of an original study whether switching from blonanserin tablets/powders to transdermal patches would reduce extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) and/or the dose of antiparkinsonian drugs for the stabilization of blood pharmacokinetics in patients with schizophrenia. Patients with schizophrenia (n = 155) were enrolled in either cohort 1 or 2. In cohort 1 (n = 97), patients received 40-80 mg/day blonanserin transdermal patches for one year after taking 8-16 mg/day blonanserin tablets for 6 weeks, and the dose of patches was determined based on the dose of the tablets. In cohort 2 (n = 58), all patients started with 40 mg/day blonanserin patches and then received 40-80 mg/day for a year after taking blonanserin tablets/powders. Changes from the start of transdermal patch treatment in EPS and the dose of antiparkinsonian drugs at 3, 6, and 12 months were assessed using the Drug-Induced EPS Scale (DIEPSS) and biperiden equivalents of total antiparkinsonian drugs (BPD-eq), respectively. Among 155 patients, only four patients in cohort 1 discontinued owing to EPS during a patch period. Significant improvements from the start of patch treatment in the DIEPSS total score at any point were observed (mean change±SD): -0.44 ± 1.50 (p = 0.013), -0.07 ± 1.78 (p = 0.73), and - 0.14 ± 1.37 (p = 0.44) in cohort 1 and - 0.16 ± 1.32 (p = 0.40), -0.74 ± 1.92 (p = 0.020), and - 0.81 ± 2.22 (p = 0.047) in cohort 2 at 3, 6, and 12 months, respectively. In contrast, there were no significant changes from the start of patch treatment in BPD-eq at any month (p > 0.05). Transdermal patches of blonanserin are a more effective route of administration to diminish EPS than oral tablets/powder.