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Selected abstracts
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CLOZAPINE FOR
TREATMENT-REFRACTORY SCHIZOPHRENIA,SCHIZOAFFECTIVE DISORDER, AND PSYCHOTIC
BIPOLAR DISORDER : A24-MONTH NATURALISTIC STUDY |
| ANTONIO CIAPPARELLI,M.D.;
LILIANA DELL'OSSO, M.D.;STAEFANO PINI,M.D.,PHD.; MARIA CRISTINA
CHIAVACCI,M.D.;MALANIA FENZI,M.D.; AND GIOVANNI B. CASSANO,M.D., F.R.C
PSYCH. |
| Background : The aim of this
study was to evaluate the 24-month respose to clozapine in patients with
schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or psychotic bipolar disorder. |
| Method : Ninety-one psychotic
patients with a principle DSM-lll - R diagnosis of schizophrenia (N=31),
schizoaffective disorder (N=26) or bipolar disorder with psychotic
features (N=34=were treated naturalistically with clozapine at flexible
dosages over a 24-month period. Improvement was assessed by the 18 item
brief Psychiatric Rating Scale and the Clinical Global Impressions -
Severity of illness scale. |
| Results :
All patients showed
significant improvement 24 months from intake (p<.001). Such an
improvement was significantly greater among patients with schizoaffective
disorder or bipolar disorder than in patients with schizophrenia
(p<.05). The presence of suicidal ideation at intake predicted greater
improvement at endpoint. |
| Conclusion :
Clozapine
appears to be effective and relatively well tolerated in acute and long
term treatment of patients with psychotic bipolar disorder who have not
responded to conventional pharmacotherapies |
| (J Clin Psychiatry 2000 : 61:
329-334) |
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