Patients’ subjective quality of life was assessed using the EuroQuolVisual Analogue Scale40 and the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire.52 After 24 weeks of treatment, EuroQuo-lVAS score significantly increased in both groups without significant differences between them. In the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire,

flupenthixol demonstrated significant greater improvements Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical in “feeling more able to cope with stress,” “feeling more relaxed,” and “feeling more able to achieve something” than risperidone. Nasrallah et al32 evaluated the quality of life of schizophrenic patients under treatment with long-acting, injectable risperidone versus placebo. They assessed a total of 369 schizophrenic patients (92 receiving placebo, 93 25 -mg, 97 50 -mg, and 87 75 -mg/2 weeks of long-acting risperidone) Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical using the SF-36.45

After 12 weeks of doubleblind randomized treatment, patients in the long-acting risperidone group improved significantly in the bodily pain, general health, social functioning, role-emotional and mental health SF-36 scales compared with patients in the placebo group. Quetiapine Velligan et al33 studied the effectiveness of quetiapine Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical versus conventional antipsychotic in improving quality of life as measured by the QLS.35 They conducted an open-label, rater-blinded study in which 40 stable schizophrenic outpatients were randomly assigned to continue taking their traditional antipsychotic medication or to be switched to quetiapine for a period of 6 months. In the quetiapine group six patients dropped out and in the conventional antipsychotic group seven did. Quetiapine-treated patients Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical had better quality of life scores during the follow-up period than those in the conventional group. Ziprasidone Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical ani aripiprazole These are the newest antipsychotics on the market,

and have been demonstrated to be Selleckchem CX-5461 efficacious in a broad spectrum of symptomatology and to have a good tolerance profile. Preliminary data concerning their impact on the patients’ quality of life have been presented at different meetings many in the last 2 years, showing significantly greater improvements than conventional antipsychotics. However, definitive data for any of them have not yet been published. Antipsychotic side effects and quality of life Antipsychotics have a wide range of adverse effects that may negatively affect the quality of life of schizophrenic patients and their compliance with treatment. Ritsner et al36 analyzed the impact of side effects of antipsychotic treatment on the quality of life of 161 schizophrenic inpatients stabilized on typical and atypical antipsychotics. Quality of life was measured using the Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire (QLES-Q).39 Patients with adverse events reported significantly less satisfaction with subjective feelings and general activities than patients without adverse events.