Long-acting risperidone in stable patients with schizoaffective disorder:

Oral and long-acting risperidone has been shown to be effective for acute and maintenance treatment of patients with schizoaffective disorders. The present analysis investigated the efficacy and tolerability of direct transition from other antipsychotics to risperidone long-acting injectable in patients with schizoaffective disorder.Patients aged ≥ 18 years with schizoaffective disorder (DSM-IV), who required a change of medication, received risperidone long-acting injectable 25mg (increased to 37.5 or 50mg, if necessary) every 2 weeks for 6 months.The analysis included 249 patients (47% male; mean age 43 years), of whom 74% completed the 6-month study. Mean scores for the total Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and all three subscales were significantly reduced from baseline to week 4 (p < 0.001), with further improvements until treatment endpoint. Significant improvements from baseline to endpoint were seen in the mood symptom domains of anxiety/depression (10.4±4.1 vs 8.7±3.9) and uncontroll...