Use, Effects and Side-effects of Second-generation Antipsychotics in a Naturalistic Setting
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2010-01-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Despite different pharmacological properties, the scientific evidence is inconclusive
regarding which of the first-line second generation antipsychotics (SGAs) should be preferred
for the individual patient suffering from psychosis. The limitations of the evidence base may
be related to the highly selected samples, short duration, and rigid experimental designs of
most randomized clinical trials of efficacy. Moreover a high proportion of the clinical
trials are drug company sponsored which could introduce funding bias. The purpose of this
non-commercially funded study is to investigate whether effectiveness differences exist among
the first-line SGAs olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone, and ziprasidone when the drugs are
used in a representative clinical setting. Eligible patients are those admitted to hospital
for acute psychosis and candidates for oral antipsychotic treatment. The investigators
hypothesise that in the naturalistic setting of every-day clinical practice and in a diverse
sample representative of most patients admitted for symptoms of acute psychosis, differential
effectiveness among the SGAs could be disclosed when the patients are followed for up to 2
years. This could deliver valuable information regarding which SGA should be the starting
antipsychotic drug in order to facilitate the most beneficial outcome.