Switching Patients with Chronic Schizophrenia to Aripiprazole:

Our goal was to evaluate the effects and safety of aripiprazole after switching from prior antipsychotic drugs in patients with chronic schizophrenia. Neurocognitive tests were applied to 21 schizophrenic patients. The schizophrenic patients were retested with the same instruments after 8 and 24 weeks of treatment with aripiprazole. Effects were assessed using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), the Hamilton Rating Scale-Depression (HAM-D), and the Clinical Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S). Extrapyramidal symptoms were assessed using the Simpson-Angus Scale (SAS). Levels of prolactin and body weight were also measured. After switching to aripiprazole, no significant changes were observed on the BPRS, the HAM-D, or the GI-S. Significant improvements were found on the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test (HVLT), the Rey Complex Figure Test (RCFT), the Digit Span Forward, Trail-Making Test A, Korean version-Boston Naming Test (K-BNT) 24 weeks after switching to aripiprazole. Aripiprazole induced significant loss of body weight at 4 weeks and decreased prolactin levels at 8 weeks but no changes were observed in the Simpson-Angus Scale (SAS) and body weight at 24 weeks. These data suggest that aripiprazole is effective in improving verbal memory and attention. The drug also demonstrated a favorable safety profile, as observed in the low incidence of hyperprolactinemia.