A long-term, multicenter, open-label study of risperidone in elderly patients with psychosis

• Published in: International journal of geriatric psychiatry 2000-06, Vol.15 (6), p.506-514
• Main Authors: Davidson, M., Harvey, P. D., Vervarcke, J., Gagiano, C. A., De Hooge, J. D., Bray, G., Dose, M., Barak, Y., Haushofer, M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; efficacy; elderly; Medical sciences; Neuropharmacology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Psycholeptics: tranquillizer, neuroleptic; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopharmacology; psychosis; risperidone; safety; schizophrenia
• ISSN: 0885-6230; 1099-1166
• DOI: 10.1002/1099-1166(200006)15:6<506::AID-GPS146>3.0.CO;2-V

Rationale Studies have shown that risperidone is safe and efficacious in young and middle‐aged adults with chronic schizophrenia, but considerably fewer data are availabale on the treatment of elderly patients with schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders, particularly long‐term outcomes. Objective A 12‐month, open‐label study was conducted to assess the effects of risperidone in elderly, chronically ill, psychotic patients. Methods This study enrolled 180 elderly, chronically ill, psychotic patients (median age, 72 years [range 54–89]), 97 of whom completed the 12‐month study. At endpoint, the mean dose of risperidone was 3.7 mg/day. Results Clinical improvement (≥20% reduction in Positive and Negative Syndrome Score [PANSS] total score) was achieved by 54% of patients at endpoint. There were significant reductions in PANSS total, subscale (positive, negative, and general psychopathology), and cognition cluster scores at endpoint (p