Sex, ethnicity, and antipsychotic medication use in patients with psychosis

Previous studies suggested that African American patients with psychotic disorders receive higher doses of antipsychotic medication than white patients, are more likely to receive depot antipsychotics, and are less likely to be prescribed second-generation antipsychotics. African-American men in particular may be most likely to receive excessive doses of antipsychotics and depot antipsychotics, although this is less clear. Few studies have examined how sex and ethnicity interactions affect treatment of psychotic disorders. In this study, we examined whether the interaction of sex and ethnicity predicted the use of depot antipsychotics and the dosing of antipsychotics in a sample of inpatients with psychotic disorders. The inpatient records of 167 patients with psychotic disorders were evaluated for type and dose of medication at discharge. African-American men received depot antipsychotic medication more frequently than African-American women and white patients. This difference persisted after controlling for sociodemographic and clinical variables. African-American men and women with psychotic mood disorders were also more likely to be discharged on high antipsychotic doses compared with white patients. There were no ethnic or sex differences in the dosing of antipsychotics for the treatment of schizophrenia spectrum disorders. There were also no ethnic or sex differences in the use of second-generation antipsychotics.     

A review of the effects of nicotine on schizophrenia and antipsychotic medications.

OBJECTIVE: Research on the impact of nicotine on schizophrenia and antipsychotic medications was reviewed to determine ways to improve treatment planning for patients with schizophrenia who smoke and to evaluate smoking cessation programs for this population. METHODS: All major research databases were searched. The review focuses on reports published since 1990. RESULTS: Smoking improves processing of auditory stimuli (sensory gating) by patients with schizophrenia and may lessen negative symptoms by increasing dopamine in the nucleus accumbens and the prefrontal and frontal cortex. Use of traditional antipsychotics may result in patients' smoking more, whereas patients taking atypical antipsychotics may smoke less. Patients who smoke metabolize antipsychotics faster than nonsmoking patients. Smoking cessation programs for outpatients with schizophrenia report a success rate of about 12 percent after six months. No studies of cessation programs for chronically ill inpatients with schizophrenia have been published. Several hospitals have implemented smoking bans with equivocal results. CONCLUSIONS: Nicotine affects both schizophrenia and antipsychotic medications. Neurobiological and psychosocial factors reinforce the high use of nicotine by patients with schizophrenia     

Patients with schizophrenia at risk for excessive antipsychotic dosing

BACKGROUND: Patient Outcomes Research Team treatment recommendations were used to investigate the relationship between patient characteristics and higher-than-recommended dosages (> 1000 chlorpromazine equivalents [CPZe]) at discharge. METHOD: Inpatients who met the DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder were recruited from 4 general hospitals. For those patients (N = 293) prescribed antipsychotics at discharge, chi-square tests and multiple regression analyses were used to assess the relationship between demographics, admission characteristics, comorbid diagnoses, and antipsychotic dosages. The relationship between clinical symptoms and antipsychotic dosage at discharge was also examined. RESULTS: Antipsychotic dosages conformed to treatment guidelines for approximately 65% of patients; 21% received doses in excess of recommended levels. African American patients and those with a history of psychiatric hospitalization were more likely to be prescribed discharge antipsychotic doses greater than 1000 CPZe. Hospital differences in antipsychotic management were also observed. Regression analyses indicated that higher-than-recommended dosages found among African American patients could not be explained by differences in symptom levels at discharge. Patients with more thought disorder were also more likely to be prescribed antipsychotic dosages in excess of the recommended range. Compared with oral administration, depot administration increased the risk of excess dosage by a factor of 30. Controlling for method of administration reduced the impact of race to nonsignificance. CONCLUSION: These results replicate earlier findings that minority individuals are more likely to be prescribed dosages in excess of the recommended range and suggest that this pattern is due to higher use of depot injection in African American patients. Further research should examine how patient characteristics and institutional factors influence medication use.     

Schizophrenia and tobacco smoking: a replication study in another US psychiatric hospital

A prior study in a US state hospital suggested that schizophrenia is more closely associated with tobacco smoking when compared with other severe mental illnesses. This second study, in a neighborhood hospital, tries to (1) replicate that schizophrenia is associated with smoking and heavy smoking, and (2) rule out that this relationship is explained by substance use. The methodology was very similar to the first study. The sample included 588 inpatients. Logistic regression was used to develop models of variables associated with smoking or heavy smoking. The frequency of current smoking for the total, schizophrenic and non-schizophrenic samples were respectively 71, 75, and 55%. The sequence of frequencies from the highest to lowest was the same as in the first study: male schizophrenic patients, male non-schizophrenic patients, female schizophrenic patients and female non-schizophrenic patients. This second study consistently replicated the relationship between schizophrenia and smoking (after correcting for other variables) including history of alcohol and drug abuse or dependence. Only one of two definitions of heavy smoking showed a significant association with schizophrenia. In summary, these two studies suggest that schizophrenia is strongly associated with smoking. Neither substance use, antipsychotics, nor institutionalism can explain this relationship.     

1986年至2006年间4个年份唐山市精神分裂症住院患者抗精神病药物使用变化趋势

目的 分析近20年精神分裂症住院患者抗精神病药物治疗种类和剂量变化趋势.方法 调查1986年、1996年、2001年和2006年4个年份在唐山市6所精神病院出院的2 718例精神分裂症患者的3 195份住院病历,用专门设计的调查表记录患者的社会人口学资料、疾病特征以及患者出院时药物治疗信息.结果 ①治疗药物的变化:1986年、1996年、2001年和2006年最常使用的抗精神病药物分别是第一代抗精神病药物、氯氮平、氯氮平、除氯氮平外的第二代抗精神病药物,使用率分别为93.8%(396/422)、45%(285/634)、59.9%(557/930)、51.6%(623/1206).2006年氯氮平使用率达35.7%(431/1206).4个年份间患者出院时合并使用2种以上抗精神病药物治疗的比例旱升高趋势(趋势X~2=99.10,P＜0.001),从1986年的10.43%(44/422)渐升至2006年的26.29%(317/1209).②药物剂量变化:4个年份出院时患者服用抗精神病药物的氯丙嗪等效日剂量组间比较差异有统计学意义(Kruskal-Wallis X~2=43.32,P＜0.001),4个年份的出院患者日服药剂量随年份增长而呈下降趋势(Spearman R=-0.13,P＜0.001);抗精神病药的单一治疗日剂量低于合并治疗,差异有统计学意义(Kruskal-Wallis X~2=14.23,P＜0.001).③多元回归分析表明,患者出院时服用抗精神病药物的氯丙嗪等效剂量与抗精神病药物联合治疗(b=163.86,P＜0.001)、住院大数(b:25.76,P＜0.001)呈正相关;与使用第二代抗精神病药物(b=-114.92,P＜0.001)、发病年龄(b=-3.87,P＜0.001)呈负相关.结论 近20年第二代抗精神病药物已逐渐成为抗精神病治疗的主要用药,抗精神病药合并治疗的比例增加.临床实践中应考虑到氯氮平一直保持较高使用率的利弊和合并用药可能带来的药物不良反应.     

Antipsychotic medication and smoking prevalence in acutely hospitalized patients with chronic schizophrenia

The atypical antipsychotic, clozapine, has been reported to reduce smoking in schizophrenic patients. We sought to determine whether other atypical antipsychotics would also be associated with a decreased prevalence of smoking in this population. Data were obtained from three groups of chronic, hospitalized, schizophrenic patients, receiving either a typical antipsychotic (n=15), clozapine (n=6), or another atypical antipsychotic (n=18). In addition to smoking prevalence, the groups were compared with regard to demographics (age, education), medication (doses, duration of treatment, side-effects), clinical (diagnosis, duration of illness) and behavioral (Wide-Range Achievement Test, Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale) variables. Smoking prevalence differed significantly among the three groups (P<0.001). Clozapine was associated with a significantly lower incidence of smoking than either typical drugs (P<0.003) or other atypical antipsychotics (P=0. 042). The groups did not differ on demographic or other medication variables or on any of several behavioral measures. However, a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia was also significantly correlated with smoking (P<0.01), but not with medication class. Although the cause is still unknown, these results are consistent with reports that clozapine reduces smoking and provide new data on smoking prevalence associated with other atypical agents.     

Effects of antipsychotics on prepulse inhibition of the startle response in drug-na?ve schizophrenic patients.

BACKGROUND: Disturbances in sensorimotor gating measured by prepulse inhibition of the startle response (PPI) have frequently been reported in medicated and unmedicated schizophrenia spectrum patients and in their relatives, suggesting that the deficit represents a stable vulnerability marker for schizophrenia. Clinical data on the effects of antipsychotics on PPI disturbances are scarce, but from preclinical studies, antipsychotics have been shown to influence PPI. To differentiate pathogenetic mechanisms from drug related effects, longitudinal clinical studies on the effect of antipsychotic treatment on PPI in drug-naive first-episode schizophrenic patients are needed. METHODS: First-episode schizophrenic patients never previously medicated with antipsychotics were examined at inclusion and after 3 months of treatment with the atypical antipsychotic compound, risperidone, or the typical drug, zuclopenthixol. Healthy controls were used as a comparison group. RESULTS: The results confirm deficits in PPI in drug-naive first-episode patients. No effect of antipsychotic treatment on PPI dysfunction was observed in any of the treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS: The data are the first to show the possible effect of treatment with antipsychotic drugs on PPI disturbances in a longitudinal study of drug-naive schizophrenic patients. The data do not support any influence of treatment with antipsychotic drugs on sensorimotor gating deficits. Instead, the results point to the impairment in PPI as a stable vulnerability indicator.     

A placebo controlled trial of bupropion for smoking cessation in schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: Schizophrenic patients have high rates of cigarette smoking compared with the general population. We compared sustained-release (SR) bupropion with placebo for smoking cessation in patients with schizophrenic disorders. We also examined how antipsychotic class predicts smoking cessation outcomes with bupropion. METHODS: Thirty-two subjects meeting DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and nicotine dependence were randomized to bupropion SR (BUP, 300 mg/day) or placebo (PLA). Outcomes included treatment retention, smoking abstinence rates, expired breath carbon monoxide (CO) levels, psychotic symptoms, and medication side effects. RESULTS: Bupropion significantly increased trial endpoint 7-day point prevalence smoking abstinence rates compared with placebo [BUP, 8/16 (50.0%), PLA, 2/16 (12.5%); chi(2) = 5.24, df = 1, p <.05], and reduced CO levels during the trial [Medication x Time interaction; Z = 3.09, p <.01]. Positive schizophrenia symptoms were not altered by BUP, but negative symptoms were significantly reduced. Atypical antipsychotic drug treatment enhanced smoking cessation responses to BUP. Major side effects were dry mouth, gastrointestinal symptoms, headache, and insomnia. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that 1) BUP enhances smoking abstinence rates compared with PLA in nicotine-dependent schizophrenic smokers; 2) BUP is well-tolerated and safe for use in these patients; and 3) atypical antipsychotics may enhance smoking cessation outcomes with BUP.     

Antipsychotic dosing patterns for schizophrenia in three treatment settings

Daily dosages of antipsychotic medications were evaluated to determine whether current guidelines advocating lower dosing are being followed. A chart review of 163 outpatients with schizophrenia was undertaken in three outpatient hospital settings-a general community hospital, a provincial hospital, and an academic teaching hospital. The daily dosage in chlorpromazine equivalents was significantly higher in the provincial hospital (773.8 mg) than in the community hospital (355 mg) or the academic hospital (424.8 mg). A greater proportion of patients at the provincial hospital received conventional antipsychotics than novel antipsychotics or depot antipsychotics, and a greater proportion received more than one antipsychotic.     

Schizophrenia and tobacco smoking in a Spanish psychiatric hospital

This study in a Spanish hospital replicated two US studies suggesting that schizophrenia is associated with smoking when compared with other severe mental illnesses. Neither antipsychotics nor institutionalism could explain this relationship. Seventy of the 100 schizophrenic and 53 of the 100 non-schizophrenic inpatients were current smokers. After correcting for confounding factors, schizophrenia increased the risk of smoking by 2- to 3-fold. Heavy smoking was not associated with schizophrenia.     

Antipsychotic medication and cognitive function in schizophrenia

Antipsychotic polypharmacy and excessive dosing still prevail worldwide in the treatment of schizophrenia, while their possible association with cognitive function has not well been examined. We examined whether the "non-standard" use of antipsychotics (defined as antipsychotic polypharmacy or dosage >1,000 mg/day of chlorpromazine equivalents) is associated with cognitive function. Furthermore, we compared cognitive function between patients taking only atypical antipsychotics and those taking only conventionals. Neurocognitive functions were assessed in 67 patients with chronic schizophrenia and 92 controls using the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R), the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R), the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), and the Advanced Trail Making Test (ATMT). Patients showed markedly poorer performance than controls on all these tests. Patients on non-standard antipsychotic medication demonstrated poorer performance than those on standard medication on visual memory, delayed recall, performance IQ, and executive function. Patients taking atypical antipsychotics showed better performance than those taking conventionals on visual memory, delayed recall, and executive function. Clinical characteristics such as duration of medication, number of hospitalizations, and concomitant antiparkinsonian drugs were different between the treatment groups (both dichotomies of standard/non-standard and conventional/atypical). These results provide evidence for an association between antipsychotic medication and cognitive function. This association between antipsychotic medication and cognitive function may be due to differential illness severity (e.g., non-standard treatment for severely ill patients who have severe cognitive impairment). Alternatively, poorer cognitive function may be due in part to polypharmacy or excessive dosing. Further investigations are required to draw any conclusions.