Photo Credit: Katarzyna Bialasiewicz
The following is a summary of “A 12-month longitudinal naturalistic follow-up of cariprazine in schizophrenia,” published in the March 2024 issue of Psychiatry by Carmassi et al.
Cariprazine, classified as a third-generation antipsychotic (TGA), has shown promise in treating Schizophrenia. While research suggests good tolerability, real-world data on its long-term effectiveness remains scarce.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study investigating the long-term effects of cariprazine on various psychopathological aspects, including real-world outcomes and side effects.
They conducted a 12-month longitudinal naturalistic study with participants diagnosed with Schizophrenia according to DSM-5-TR criteria. Participants were recruited from outpatient psychiatric services at university and community hospitals in Italy and received treatment with cariprazine. The assessments comprised a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5), the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS), and the St. Hans Rating Scale (SHRS). PANSS evaluations were conducted at 6 months (T1) and 12 months (T2) post-treatment initiation, while SHRS assessments were performed at T1.
The results showed a sample size of 31 patients, comprising 15 males and 16 females. Noteworthy reductions were observed in PANSS subscales, Marder factors, and total mean scores at T1 and T2 compared to T0. Extrapyramidal symptoms manifested in a minority of patients, primarily in mild or mild/moderate forms: none exhibited moderate forms of psychic/motor akathisia or dystonia, while three subjects demonstrated moderate parkinsonism.
Investigators concluded that cariprazine showed long-term efficacy for both positive and negative symptoms in Schizophrenia, with good tolerability for extrapyramidal symptoms.
Source: frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1382013/abstract