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A placebo-controlled study of tropisetron added to risperidone for the treatment of negative symptoms in chronic and stable schizophrenia

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Abstract

Rational

A growing body of evidence illustrates that 5-HT3 receptor antagonist drugs may be of benefit in the treatment of negative symptoms in schizophrenia.

Objective

The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy and tolerability of tropisetron add-on to risperidone on negative symptoms in patients with chronic stable schizophrenia.

Methods

In a double-blind, placebo-controlled 8-week trial, 40 patients with chronic schizophrenia who were stabilized on risperidone were randomized into tropisetron or placebo add-on groups. Psychotic symptoms were measured using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) every 2 weeks. Furthermore, extrapyramidal and depressive symptoms as well as side effects were assessed. The primary outcome measure was the difference in change from baseline of negative subscale scores between the two groups at week 8.

Results

Tropisetron resulted in greater improvement of the total PANSS scores [F(1.860,70.699) = 37.366, p < 0.001] as well as negative scores [F(2.439,92.675) = 16.623, p < 0.001] and general psychopathology [F(1.767,67.158) = 4.602, p = 0.017], but not positive subscale scores [F(1.348, 51.218) = 0.048, p = 0.893] compared to placebo. In a multiple regression analysis controlling for positive, extrapyramidal, and depressive symptoms, treatment group (standardized β = −0.640) significantly predicted changes in primary negative symptoms. The side effect profile did not differ significantly between the two groups.

Conclusion

Tropisetron add-on to risperidone improves the primary negative symptoms of patients with chronic stable schizophrenia.

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Acknowledgments

This study was Dr. Sina Ghasemi’s postgraduate thesis toward the Iranian Board of Psychiatry. This study was supported by a grant from Tehran University of Medical Sciences to Prof. Shahin Akhondzadeh (grant no. 11426).

Conflict of interest statement

None declared.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Psychiatric Research Center, Roozbeh Psychiatric Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, South Kargar Street, Tehran, 13337, Iran

    Maryam Noroozian, Sina Ghasemi, Seyed-Mohammad-Reza Hosseini, Amirhossein Modabbernia, Omid Mirshafiee, Mehdi Farokhnia, Masih Tajdini, Mandana Ashrafi, Habibeh Yekehtaz & Shahin Akhondzadeh

  2. Razi Psychiatric Hospital, Welfare Sciences University, Tehran, Iran

    Shahin Akhondzadeh

  3. Razi Psychiatric Hospital, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation, Tehran, Iran

    Mohammad-Reza Khodaie-Ardakani

  4. Department of Psychiatry, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran

    Farzin Rezaei

  5. Department of Psychiatry, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran

    Bahman Salehi

  6. Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Mina Tabrizi

Authors
  1. Maryam Noroozian
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  2. Sina Ghasemi
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  3. Seyed-Mohammad-Reza Hosseini
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  4. Amirhossein Modabbernia
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  13. Mina Tabrizi
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  14. Shahin Akhondzadeh
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shahin Akhondzadeh.

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Noroozian, M., Ghasemi, S., Hosseini, SMR. et al. A placebo-controlled study of tropisetron added to risperidone for the treatment of negative symptoms in chronic and stable schizophrenia. Psychopharmacology 228, 595–602 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-013-3064-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-013-3064-2

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