Second-generation Antipsychotic Medications Research Articles

Morbid obesity and use of second generation antipsychotics among adolescents in foster care: Evidence from Medicaid

BackgroundMany adolescents enter foster care with high body mass index (BMI), and patterns of treatment further exacerbate the risk of morbid obesity. A principal risk factor for such exacerbation is the use of second generation antipsychotics (SGAs). We examine the association between receiving a morbid obesity diagnosis and SGA prescriptions among adolescents in foster care. MethodsWe analyzed claims from 36 states' Medicaid Analytic Extract (MAX) files for 2000 through 2003. Obesity diagnoses were ascertained through a primary or secondary diagnosis claim of morbid obesity. Covariates included gender, race/ethnicity. Age, insurance status, state obesity rate, and state fixed effects. We calculated relative risks of a diagnosis based upon four SGAs (clozapine, olanzapine, quetiapine, and risperidone) associated with obesity and a polypharmacy indicator. ResultsOf the 1,261,806 foster care adolescent-years in the MAX files, 6517 were diagnosed with morbid obesity, an annual prevalence of 0.5%. The risk of a morbid obesity diagnosis is much higher for female and non-white adolescents. The risk increases with age. Quetiapine and clozapine increased the risk of a morbid obesity diagnosis more than 2.5 times, and two or more psychotropic drugs (polypharmacy) increased the risk fivefold. ConclusionsAdolescents in foster care are much more likely to be on SGA medications, and therefore may be more susceptible to weight gain and obesity. Given that SGA prescribing for younger populations has only expanded since these data were released, our study may actually understate the magnitude of the problem. Care is needed when prescribing SGAs for foster care adolescents.

Glucose Testing for Adults Receiving Medicaid and Antipsychotics: A Population-Based Prescriber Survey on Behaviors, Attitudes, and Barriers.

This study aimed to assess provider attitudes about glucose testing for adults prescribed second-generation antipsychotic medication. Missouri Medicaid prescribers of antipsychotics in 2011 were surveyed (N=924, 25% response rate). Pearson's chi square test was used to compare responses between prescriber specialty setting. Multivariable log-binomial regression evaluated the association of factors hypothesized as barriers to screening. Prescribers in community mental health centers were more likely than primary care providers to report that they would definitely order baseline testing (57% versus 39%, p<.001) and were greater promoters of screening to colleagues (76% versus 49%, p<.001). The strongest predictor of screening intent was disagreeing strongly that "metabolic screening is not a priority for me or my organization" (94% more likely to screen at drug initiation and 74% more likely at annual evaluation, both p<.001). Establishing organizational priority across all treatment settings is important for achieving population-based diabetes screening goals for all Medicaid patients receiving antipsychotics.

Quetiapine use in adults in the community: a population-based study in Alberta, Canada

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to evaluate trends in prescribing of the second-generation antipsychotic medication quetiapine to adults in the province of Alberta from 2008 to 2013 through examination...

Antipsychotic-like effects of zolpidem in Wistar rats

Aside from their use in the treatment of anxiety disorders and insomnia, benzodiazepines and other GABAA receptor positive modulators are widely used as add-on treatments in schizophrenic and non-schizophrenic psychoses. However, there is relatively little direct clinical or pre-clinical evidence for antipsychotic effects of GABAergic medications. Previous studies have indicated that zolpidem, a GABAergic drug acting preferentially at α1-containing GABAA receptors, may produce catalepsy through interactions with dopaminergic neurotransmission. The aim of the present study was to investigate effects of zolpidem in experimental models of antipsychotic activity and extrapyramidal side effects in Wistar rats. Effects of zolpidem were compared with that of a classic benzodiazepine drug, diazepam and a second-generation antipsychotic medication, risperidone. High doses of risperidone (10.0mg/kg, i.p.) and zolpidem (10.0mg/kg, i.p.), but not diazepam, induced relatively short-lasting cataleptic responses in the bar test. Zolpidem and risperidone, but not diazepam, produced some antipsychotic-like effects at doses, which produced no catalepsy and did not inhibit spontaneous locomotor activity and apomorphine-induced stereotypies. The present results tend to indicate that zolpidem exerts some neuroleptic-like effects at doses, which do not produce motor side effects. Our findings may provide further rationale for the development of new subtype-selective GABAA receptor modulators for the treatment of psychotic symptoms.

A Dental Crown for Patients with Schizophrena

Schizophrenia is a heterogeneous group of disorders with variable presentation in thought disturbances and disorganized behaviors[1]. Psychological and behavioral manifestations in patients affect concentration, perception, and ideation to the extent that social and occupational functioning is impaired[2]. Symptoms include hallucinations, disorganized thinking, perceptual disturbances, severe anxiety, and difficulty completing tasks. This complex mental disorder afflicts 1.1% (2.4 million) of the U.S. population which constitutes approximately 10% of the disabled[3,4]. Although schizophrenia affects men and women equally, the onset is typically between 18 to 24 in males and 24 to 34 in females[2,4]. Patients are usually treated with firstor second-generation antipsychotic medications[3]. Long-term use of these medications is often required in addition to continuous support from caregivers and/or family members as about half of all people with schizophrenia have significant impairment in self-care skills[4]. Advanced dental disease seen in schizophrenia patients is due to several factors. The severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI) not only impairs the ability to carry out tasks for maintaining oral hygiene, but antipsychotic medication is known to produce adverse oral effects. Additionally, there are financial barriers to the access of dental care as well as an inadequate number of dentists comfortable with treating schizophrenia patients[5,6]. This paper addresses barriers to dental care by reviewing aspects of a dental crown that would promote oral health in individuals suffering from schizophrenia.

Short term effectiveness of haloperidol versus risperidone in first-episode schizophrenia

Aim: The supposed superiority of second-generation antipsychotic medication over first-generation antipsychotic medication has been challenged recently by several studies. This naturalistic retrospective study aims to compare outcomes between patients admitted for the first time with first-episode schizophrenia-spectrum disorders who were started on either haloperidol or risperidone. Would choice of antipsychotic affect length of admission and three-month outcome? Methods: Seventy-seven patients from the Early Psychosis Intervention Programme at the Institute of Mental Health were included in this study. Length of stay was obtained from hospital electronic records. Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scores at three months were used to assess severity of psychopathology and level of functioning respectively. A secondary analysis was also done to measure time to discontinuation for any reason. Results: There was a significant reduction in PANSS total, positive, negative and general psychopathology scores in both groups at three months, with the patients on risperidone showing a greater reduction in PANSS negative scores compared to the patients on haloperidol. However, there were no statistically significant differences between length of hospitalization and total PANSS score at three months between the two groups. Time to discontinuation was longer in the risperidone group compared to the haloperidol group. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that risperidone has a better effect on negative symptoms and is better tolerated, resulting in a longer time to discontinuation. Thus, starting a patient with first-episode schizophrenia-spectrum disorder on risperidone would result in a better short-term outcome as compared to starting the same patient on haloperidol.

Diabetes Screening Among Underserved Adults With Severe Mental Illness Who Take Antipsychotic Medications.

RESEARCH LETTER Adults in the United States with severe mental illness (SMI), such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (totaling approximately 7 million), are estimated to die, on average, 25 years earlier than the general population, largely of premature cardiovascular disease.1 The Institute of Medicine2 has called for improvements in health care for this population. Severe mental illness is associated with elevated risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus.3 Treatment with antipsychotic medications contributes to risk, with most evidence focused on second-generation antipsychotic medications, but similar increases in risk are reported with older and newer medications.4 The American Diabetes Association5 recommends annual diabetes screening for patients treated with antipsychotic medications, and public health administrators have targeted this population for improved health screening.6 To our knowledge, no studies have examined screening rates in this highest-risk population of adults with SMI because of limitations in public health medical records. We examined diabetes screening among publicly insured adults with SMI taking antipsychotic medications using matched administrative data for physical and mental health care services in a large health care system. We measured diabetes screening prevalence among patients with SMI treated with antipsychotic medications and assessed characteristics predictive of screening.

Antipsychotic medications and extreme weight gain in two health systems

We conducted this study to investigate the rate of clinically important, extreme weight gain (EWG; ≥7% body weight gain) among all second generation antipsychotic (SGA) users in two large health care systems in the United States. Retrospective observational cohort study. We used electronic medical record databases of two health systems to identify adults aged 18-79 years who from 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2011 had initiated a SGA medication. All patients had to have a minimum of two weight measures in the medical record: (1) one or more weights in the 180-day pre-treatment (baseline) period; and (2) one or more weights in the first year after initiating SGA treatment. We found that EWG occurred in 7.7-17.0% of SGA users. At one year, the average weight gain was nearly 10kg among SGA users who experienced EWG. Olanzapine was the SGA most commonly associated with EWG with a rate of 17.0 per 100 users [95% confidence interval (CI): 14.2-20.5], while ziprasidone was least commonly associated with EWG (7.7 per 100 users; 95% CI: 4.6-13.0). We found that clinically-important weight gain was common after the initiation of SGA treatment, and the EWG phenotype was easily identifiable within electronic medical records. There was significant heterogeneity in the rate of EWG across SGA medications. Weight gains of this magnitude are likely to have adverse health consequences and there is a significant unmet opportunity for physicians to identify these events and mitigate the harms of SGA use.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for schizophrenia.

People with schizophrenia often experience symptoms which fail to fully respond to antipsychotic medication. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has been proposed as a new treatment for people with schizophrenia, especially those who experience persistent auditory hallucinations.To estimate the effects of TMS alone, compared with sham TMS or with 'standard management' and any other comparison interventions in reducing psychotic symptoms associated with schizophrenia.We searched the Cochrane Schizophrenia Group Trials Register (June 2006, June 2008, April 2013). This register is compiled by methodical searches of MEDLINE, EMBASE, BIOSIS, CINAHL, Dissertation abstracts, LILACS, PSYNDEX, PsycINFO, RUSSMED, and Sociofile, and is supplemented with handsearching of relevant journals and numerous conference proceedings.We included all randomised controlled trials recruiting at least five participants and comparing TMS with sham TMS or any other treatment for people with schizophrenia.We extracted data independently. For dichotomous data we calculated relative risks (RRs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs). For continuous data, we calculated mean differences (MD) and 95% CI. We used a fixed-effect model. We assessed overall quality of the evidence using the GRADE approach.We included 41 studies with 1473 participants in the review. We found significant differences in favour of temporoparietal TMS compared to sham TMS for global state measured on the CGI scale (7 RCTs, n = 224, MD -0.5, 95% CI -0.76 to -0.23, very low-quality evidence) and positive symptoms measured on the PANSS scale (5 RCTs, n = 127, MD -6.09, 95% CI -10.95 to -1.22, very low-quality evidence). Participants experienced significantly more headaches in the temporoparietal TMS group (10 RCTs, n = 392, RR 2.65, 95% CI 1.56 to 4.50, very low-quality evidence). However, no more participants left the study early from the TMS group than from the sham group (very low-quality evidence). Cognitive state was assessed using 39 different measures, and all were equivocal (very low-quality evidence).We included only two trials which compared temporoparietal TMS with standard treatment. In both trials the participants received first- and second-generation antipsychotic medication in both treatment groups, therefore TMS was used an adjunctive therapy to medication. We found no significant differences in the number of participants that showed clinical improvement in global state (1 RCT, n = 100, RR 1.19, 95% CI 0.91 to 1.57) or left the study early (2 RCTs, n = 140, RR 0.33, 95% CI 0.08 to 1.46) (both very low-quality evidence). No studies reported on global state score, mental state, cognitive state and adverse effects.For prefrontal TMS compared to sham TMS, global state was measured on three different scales, all of which presented equivocal results (very low quality evidence). We could not pool data for mental state on the PANSS scale due to high heterogeneity. Cognitive state was assessed using 19 different measures, with 15/19 being equivocal (very low-quality evidence). Prefrontal TMS caused more headaches (6 RCTs, n = 164, RR 2.77, 95% CI 1.22 to 6.26, very low-quality evidence) but there was no difference in the number of participants leaving the study early (very low-quality evidence). No studies reported data for clinical improvement.We found a significant difference in favour of prefrontal theta burst stimulation TMS compared to sham TMS for mental state on the PANNS scale (3 RCTs, n = 108, MD -5.71, 95% CI -9.32 to -2.10, very low evidence). We found no difference for clinical improvement, cognitive state, number of headaches, and leaving the study early (very low-quality evidence).None of the included studies reported satisfaction with care.Based on this review, there is insufficient evidence to support or refute the use of TMS to treat symptoms of schizophrenia. Although some evidence suggests that TMS, and in particular temporoparietal TMS, may improve certain symptoms (such as auditory hallucinations and positive symptoms of schizophrenia) compared to sham TMS, the results were not robust enough to be unequivocal across the assessment measures used. There was insufficient evidence to suggest any added benefit with TMS used as an adjunctive therapy to antipsychotic medication.The overall quality of evidence was graded as very low due to risk of bias, and this was accompanied by an imprecision in estimates due to the relatively small number of participants in the studies. Thus, consideration is required in improving the quality of trial processes, as well as the quality of reporting of ongoing and future TMS trials, so as to facilitate accurate future judgements in assessing risk of bias. Differences in TMS techniques in relation to stimulation intensity, stimulation length, brain areas stimulated and variations in the design of sham TMS all contributed to the heterogeneity of study findings and limited the interpretation and applicability of the results. In addition, the trials assessed their outcomes with a variety of scales, and usable data were limited. Therefore, to better evaluate the treatment effects of TMS in people with schizophrenia, we favour the use of standardised treatment protocols and outcome measures.

Disruptions of sensorimotor gating, cytokines, glycemia, monoamines, and genes in both sexes of rats reared in social isolation can be ameliorated by oral chronic quetiapine administration

The pathogenesis of schizophrenia in patients with metabolic abnormalities remains unclear. Our previous study demonstrated that isolation rearing (IR) induced longitudinal concomitant changes of pro-inflammatory cytokine (pro-CK) levels and metabolic abnormalities with a developmental origin. However, the general consensus, believes that these abnormalities are caused by antipsychotic treatment in schizophrenic patients. The IR paradigm presents with face, construct, and predictive validity for schizophrenia. Therefore, we employed IR rats of both sexes to examine whether chronic quetiapine (QTP, a second-generation antipsychotic medication) treatment induces disruptions of metabolism (body weight, blood pressure, and the glycemic and lipid profiles) or cytokines [interleukin (IL)-1 beta, IL-6, IL-10, interferon-gamma, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha], and further, whether it reverses deficits of behaviors [locomotor activity and prepulse inhibition (PPI)] and the expression of monoamines (dopamine and serotonin) and related genes (Htr1a, Htr2a, Htr3a, Drd1a, and Gabbr2). IR induced higher levels of pro-CK, dysglycemia, blood pressure, locomotor activity, and impaired PPI, simultaneously destabilizing cortico-striatal monoamines and relevant genes in both sexes, while QTP demonstrated dose-dependent reversal of these changes, suggesting that QTP might reduce the pro-CKs to regulate these abnormalities. Our data implied that antipsychotics may not be the solitary factor causing metabolic problems in schizophrenia and suggested that inflammatory changes may play a vital role in the developmental pathophysiology of schizophrenia and related metabolic abnormalities.

Long-Acting Injectable Risperidone for Relapse Prevention and Control of Breakthrough Symptoms After a Recent First Episode of Schizophrenia. A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Long-acting, injectable, second-generation antipsychotic medication has tremendous potential to bring clinical stability to persons with schizophrenia. However, long-acting medications are rarely used following a first episode of schizophrenia. To compare the clinical efficacy of the long-acting injectable formulation of risperidone with the oral formulation in the early course of schizophrenia. A randomized clinical trial performed at a university-based research clinic, between 2005 and 2012. Eighty-six patients with recent onset of schizophrenia were randomized to receive long-acting injectable risperidone or oral risperidone. Half of each group was simultaneously randomized to receive cognitive remediation to improve cognitive functioning or healthy-behaviors training to improve lifestyle habits and well-being. An intent-to-treat analysis was performed between October 4, 2012, and November 12, 2014. A 12-month trial comparing the long-acting injectable vs oral risperidone and cognitive remediation vs healthy-behaviors training. Psychotic relapse and control of breakthrough psychotic symptoms. Of the 86 patients randomized, 3 refused treatment in the long-acting injectable risperidone group. The psychotic exacerbation and/or relapse rate was lower for the long-acting risperidone group compared with the oral group (5% vs 33%; χ21 = 11.1; P < .001; relative risk reduction, 84.7%). Long-acting injectable risperidone better controlled mean levels of hallucinations and delusions throughout follow-up (β = -0.30; t68 = -2.6, P = .01). The cognitive remediation and healthy-behaviors training groups did not differ significantly regarding psychotic relapse, psychotic symptom control, or hospitalization rates, and there were no significant interactions between the 2 medications and the 2 psychosocial treatments. Discontinuations owing to inadequate clinical response were more common in the oral group than in the long-acting risperidone group (χ21 = 6.1; P = .01). Adherence to oral risperidone did not appear to differ before randomization but was better for the long-acting risperidone group compared with the oral group (t80 = 5.3; P < .001). Medication adherence was associated with prevention of exacerbation and/or relapse (χ21 =11.1; P = .003) and control of breakthrough psychotic symptoms (β = 0.2; t79 = 2.1; P = .04). The use of long-acting injectable risperidone after a first episode of schizophrenia has notable advantages for clinical outcomes. The key clinical advantages are apparently owing to the more consistent administration of the long-acting injectable. Such formulations should be offered earlier in the course of illness. clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00333177.

Understanding antipsychotic-induced weight gain and other metabolic issues

Second-generation antipsychotic medications are recommended as first-line treatments for people experiencing psychosis, but many of these drugs are closely associated with metabolic changes that significantly contribute towards poor physical health and increased mortality rates. Current evidence suggests that considerable variations exist among this group of drugs with respect to their independent effects on metabolism—some of these discrepancies probably relate to their differing effects on neurotransmitters. This article explores some of the more commonly accepted hypotheses for the reasons antipsychotics contribute towards metabolic disorders and discusses the potential implications for practice.

Treatment Strategies for Cannabis Use in Schizophrenia

Cannabis is used by more than 25 % of schizophrenia patients and is associated with symptom exacerbation and poorer clinical outcome. To date, evidence is scarce for treating cannabis use disorders among schizophrenia patients. Psychosocial interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, or contingency management have been evaluated as potential treatments for cannabis use disorders (CUD) among schizophrenia patients and in the general population. However, results are somewhat inconsistent, and efficacy appears to wane after treatment concludes. Pharmacotherapy has also been examined as a potential treatment for CUD but has not yet demonstrated consistent efficacy in the general population. The administration of second-generation antipsychotic medications is the pharmacological standard of care for schizophrenia as well as the treatment of choice for comorbid cannabis use among schizophrenia patients. Recent preliminary trials of pharmacotherapy agents in the general population must be further tested to confirm their potential efficacy at treating CUD. Based on the current evidence, we recommend a multi-faceted approach to treatment for CUD in the schizophrenia population, employing pharmacological and psychosocial modalities. We recommend using a second-generation antipsychotic medication; to date risperidone, olanzapine, and clozapine show the most promise for this population. We also recommend engaging patients in a combination of motivation-based treatment (motivational interviewing or motivation enhancement therapy) and cognitive behavioral treatment directed at cannabis use. When family systems allow, multidimensional family therapy should also be considered, particularly for adolescent patients. The available evidence suggests that CUDs will require ongoing treatment in order to maintain long-term efficacy.

Forecasting Medicaid Expenditures for Antipsychotic Medications.

The ongoing transition from use of mostly branded to mostly generic second-generation antipsychotic medications could bring about a substantial reduction in Medicaid expenditures for antipsychotic medications, a change with critical implications for formulary restrictions on second-generation antipsychotics in Medicaid. This study provided a forecast of the impact of generics on Medicaid expenditures for antipsychotic medications. Quarterly (N=816) state-level aggregate data on outpatient antipsychotic prescriptions in Medicaid between 2008 and 2011 were drawn from the Medicaid state drug utilization database. Annual numbers of prescriptions, expenditures, and cost per prescription were constructed for each antipsychotic medication. Forecasts of antipsychotic expenditures in calendar years 2016 and 2019 were developed on the basis of the estimated percentage reduction in Medicaid expenditures for risperidone, the only second-generation antipsychotic available generically throughout the study period. Two models of savings from generic risperidone use were estimated, one based on constant risperidone prices and the other based on variable risperidone prices. The sensitivity of the expenditure forecast to expected changes in Medicaid enrollment was also examined. In the main model, annual Medicaid expenditures for antipsychotics were forecasted to decrease by $1,794 million (48.8%) by 2016 and by $2,814 million (76.5%) by 2019. Adjustment for variable prices of branded medications and changes in Medicaid enrollment only moderately affected the magnitude of these reductions. Within five years, antipsychotic expenditures in Medicaid may decline to less than half their current levels. Such a spending reduction warrants a reassessment of the continued necessity of formulary restrictions for second-generation antipsychotics in Medicaid.

Use of electroconvulsive therapy for Asian patients with schizophrenia (2001-2009): Trends and correlates.

Little is known about electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) use in Asian inpatients with schizophrenia. This study examined trends of ECT use for schizophrenia patients in Asia between 2001 and 2009 and its independent demographic and clinical correlates. Data on 6761 hospitalized schizophrenia patients (2001 = 2399, 2004 = 2136, and 2009 = 2226) in nine Asian countries and territories were collected by either chart review or interviews during a 1-month period. Patients' sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, prescriptions of psychotropic drugs and ECT use were recorded using a standardized protocol and data-collection procedure. The frequency of ECT was 3.3% in the whole sample; rising from 1.8% in 2001 to 3.3% in 2004 and 4.9% in 2009 (P < 0.0001). However, this increased trend was driven solely by increased ECT use in China (P < 0.0001), and the inclusion of India in the 2009 survey. There were wide inter-country variations: 2001, 0% (Hong Kong, Korea) to 5.9% (China); 2004, 0% (Singapore) to 11.1% (China); 2009, 0% (Hong Kong) to 13.8% (India) and 15.2% (China). Multiple logistic regression analysis of the whole sample revealed that patients receiving ECT were less likely in the 35-64-year age group, had shorter length of current hospitalization and fewer negative symptoms, and were more likely to receive second-generation antipsychotic medications compared to those who were not treated with ECT (R(2) = 0.264, P < 0.001). ECT use for schizophrenia has increased over the past decade in China, being low/relatively stable in other Asian countries/regions. Reasons for substantial variations in ECT frequency in Asia require further study.

Increase in Antipsychotic Polypharmacy Treatment in Patients with Schizophrenia Between 1994-2000 and 2010

Objective: The objective of this study is to determine the increase in the prevalence of antipsychotic polypharmacy in Dokuz Eylul University Psychotic Disorder Outpatient Unit over a period of 10 years. Methods: All accessible records of the patients, examined in the Dokuz Eylul University Psychotic Disorder Outpatient Unit between 1994 and 2000, and in 2010 were evaluated. Ninety one schizophrenia patients who had been examined between 1994 and 2000 and 102 schizophrenia patients who had been examined in 2010 were compared in terms of drug prescription patterns. Results: The point prevalence of antipsychotic polypharmacy showed a significant difference between two groups (p=0.022), polypharmacy increased from 32% to 49%. The number of first-generation antipsychotic (FGA) medications decreased from 46% to 26%, while the number of second-generation antipsychotic (SGA) medications increased from 71% to 99%. Conclusion: The prevalence of antipsychotic combinations both with other antipsychotics and other psychotropic medicines increased significantly over a period of 10 years. Keywords: Antipsychotics, combinations, monotherapy, polypharmacy, psychosis, schizophrenia.

Thiothixene in the Management of Delirium: A Case Series

Pharmacologic strategies are often required to help manage agitated patients with delirium. First-and second-generation antipsychotic medications (such as haloperidol, quetiapine, and olanzapine) are commonly used. On the psychiatric consultation service in our hospital, thiothixene has been used based on its favorable potency, sedative, and cost profiles. Little has been written about the utility of this drug for management of delirium. We reviewed our experience with thiothixene in this setting using pharmacy records to identify patients who received at least 1 dose between July 2011 and March 2014. We scrutinized the relevant medical records (n = 111) and recorded the following data: age, sex, medical diagnoses, signs and symptoms of delirium, dosing of thiothixene, and response to thiothixene in terms of both apparent benefit as well as side effects. Resolution or improvement was documented in 78% of patients and good tolerability in 82% of patients. Although further data from a randomized, controlled trial would be ideal, our experience suggests that thiothixene could be a safe and effective pharmacologic treatment for agitation and psychosis due to delirium.

Aripiprazole adjunct treatment in bipolar I or II disorder, depressed state: a 2-year clinical study.

The symptomatic course of bipolar disorder (BPD) is chronic and dominated by depression. As recurrence rates are high, maintenance therapy is required. Although efficacious, mood stabilizers may be hampered by poor adherence, and second-generation antipsychotic medications may be associated with weight gain and metabolic abnormalities. There is evidence to suggest that aripiprazole is beneficial in major depressive disorder and BPD with depression. We therefore investigated 2-year clinical outcomes with aripiprazole adjunct therapy at 5 to 15 mg once daily alongside a mood stabilizer in 40 patients with BPD. All patients experienced marked improvements in Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale scores by 6 weeks and substantial reductions in Clinical Global Impressions Scale scores by 6 months. All patients were able to return to optimal or premorbid functioning by 6 months to 1 year. By 1 year, all patients made a complete functional recovery on the Sheehan Disability Scale. Improvements were maintained on all measures up to 2 years. There were minimal adverse events, all of which decreased during therapy. Our findings indicate that aripiprazole adjunct treatment is safe and effective as an acute and maintenance therapy for BPD. However, the findings will need to be replicated by larger studies.

Clozapine induced akathisia: A case report and review of the evidence

Clozapine is a second-generation antipsychotic medication, which is mostly used in patients with treatment resistant schizophrenia. It is considered to be associated with lower incidence of extrapyramidal side-effects. Akathisia is considered to be a rare side-effect of clozapine. In this report, we describe a patient who developed akathisia while receiving clozapine and review the literature. Existing literature suggests that except for few initial reports, data suggests that clozapine is in general associated with lower incidence of akathisia compared to first generation antipsychotics. Data comparing clozapine with other atypical antipsychotics is equivocal.

Concurrent use of stimulants and second-generation antipsychotics among children with ADHD enrolled in Medicaid.

This study examined the prevalence of and factors associated with concurrent use of long-acting stimulants (LAS) and second-generation antipsychotic agents among children and adolescents with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The study involved retrospective longitudinal analysis of 2003-2007 Medicaid data from four states for children and adolescents between the ages of six and 17 years who were diagnosed as having ADHD and initiated LAS treatment. Concurrent use of LAS and second-generation antipsychotic medications was defined as simultaneous receipt of both medications for at least 14 days. On the basis of the conceptual framework of the Andersen behavioral model, multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to examine predisposing, enabling, and need factors associated with concurrent use. Among the 61,793 children who initiated LAS treatment for ADHD, 11,866 (19.2%) received LAS and second-generation antipsychotics concurrently for at least 14 days. Overall, the average length of concurrent use was 130±98 days. Multivariable logistic regression revealed that concurrent use was higher among boys, blacks, and foster care children compared with their respective counterparts. Comorbid psychiatric conditions, including disorders that are not approved indications for second-generation antipsychotic use, were associated with concurrent use of LAS and second-generation antipsychotics. Almost one in five children and adolescents who initiated LAS also received second-generation antipsychotics concurrently for at least 14 days. Approved and nonapproved indications of second-generation antipsychotics influenced concurrent use in pediatric ADHD.