Improvement of serum prolactin and sexual function after switching to aripiprazole from risperidone in schizophrenia: a case series

This study examined prolactin levels, sexual function and clinical improvement after switching to aripiprazole from risperidone. Nine schizophrenic male Chinese patients who reported risperidone-induced sexual dysfunction were studied. Clinical Global Impression Scale Scores for Severity (CGI-S), Clinical Global Impression Scale Scores for Improvement (CGI-I), Arizona Sexual Experience Scale results and serum prolactin concentrations were determined over 16 weeks. After treatment with aripiprazole, all patients showed reduced serum prolactin (26.54 ± 17.03 ng/mL to 3.71 ± 1.87 ng/mL, P=0.008) and five reported improved sexual function. Mean baseline CGI-S (5.11 ± 0.93) decreased to 3.78 ± 1.39 (P=0.010) by week 16. Compared to baseline (4.0), the mean CGI-I significantly declined by the end of the study (3.44 ± 0.53, P=0.025).