A controlled study of aripiprazole vs. risperidone in the treatment of schizophrenia

OBJECTIVE:To explore the efficacy and safety of aripiprazole in the treatment of schizophrenia.METHODS:60 schizophrenics were randomly divided into research group(n=30)receiving aripiprazole and control group(n=30)doing risperidone for 8 weeks.Clinical effects were assessed with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale(PANSS)and adverse reactions with the Treatment Emergent Symptom Scale(TESS)before treatment and at the end of the 1st,2nd,4th and 8th week treatment.RESULTS:At the end of the 8th week,excellecne and effectiveness rates were respectively 73.3% and 96.6% in the research and 73.3% and 93.3% in the control group,which showed no significant difference(P0.05);since the end of the 2nd week,the toatl score and all factors' scores of the PANSS lowered more significantly compared with pretreatment(all P0.01)and continiously did as treatment time went on,but there was no significant difference in synchronizatiuon intergroup comparison;both groups had mild adverse effects,incidences of akathisia,myotonia,headache,dizziness,weight gain,lactation and mentstrual disorder were significantly lower in the research than in the control group(all P0.05).CONCLUSION:Aripiprazole has significant effects,higher safety and better compliance in the treatment of schizophrenia.