Publication:

Comparison of therapeutic effects of monotherapy of chlorpromazine, risperidone and their combination in newly diagnosed schizophrenic patients

Background This study evaluates and compares how negative and positive symptoms of schizophrenia were influenced with monotherapy with a first-generation anti-psychotic medication (Chlorpromazine) and a second generation anti-psychotic medication (Risperidone) and by their combination, both of which are commonly used in clinical psychiatric practice.

Methods It was randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical study performed in Indian newly diagnosed schizophrenic patients in the Department of psychiatry from Feb 2003 to March 2004. Patients 18 (eighteen) patients aged 20 to 60 years diagnosed schizophrenics according to ICD-10 Criteria who visited in outpatient department of psychiatry during study period. Three groups of 6 Patient each, group-1 - was treated with oral Chlorpromazine 100 mg 12 hly, group -2 - was treated with oral Risperidone 2mg 12 hly group 3 -was treated with combination of oral Chlorpromazine 100mg 12 hly + oral Risperidone 2 mg 12 hly. How symptomatology in schizophrenic patients affected, is measured by applying various validated psychiatric scales like Brief psychiatric Rating Score (BPRS), Scale for assessment of positive symptom(SAPS), and Scale for Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS).

Results the study showed that the combination therapy of oral Chlorpromazine 100 mg 12 hly + Risperidone 2mg 12 hly had reduced the overall beneficial effects which were achieved with monotherapy of both the drugs.

Conclusions In this study, the therapeutic effects of combination of oral Chlorpromazine 100 mg 12 hly + Risperidone 2 mg 12 hly found to be reduced on positive symptoms and negative symptoms of schizophrenia, assessed on SAPS and SANS scoring scales when compared with beneficial effects which were achieved with monotherapy of both the drugs.