The Tolerability of Mirtazapine Augmentation in Schizophrenic Patients Treated with Risperidone: A Preliminary Randomized Placebo-controlled Trial

Overview

Journal Clin Psychopharmacol Neurosci

Specialty Psychiatry

Date 2013 Feb 23

PMID 23431108

Citations 3

Authors

Jieun Lee

Sung Joon Cho

Kang Soo Lee

Keunyoung Yook

Ah Young Choe

Sungjae Lee

Borah Kim

Keung-Hyang Kim

Tae Kyou Choi

Sang-Hyuk Lee

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: Some patients with schizophrenia may need mirtazapine augmentation to improve negative and cognitive symptoms. However there have been a few studies about the tolerability of mirtazapine augmentation to antipsychotics such as akathisia, extrapyramydal symptoms, weight gain, and body mass index (BMI).

Methods: This study was an eight-week double-blind, randomized controlled trial (RCT) of mirtazapine augmentation to risperidone. Twenty-one stabilized participants diagnosed with schizophrenia and undergoing treatment with risperidone were randomized to adjunctive treatment with mirtazapine (15 mg/day for the first two weeks, 30 mg/day for the next six weeks) or placebo. Eleven patients were assigned to the mirtazapine group, and nine patients were given placebo.

Results: There was no significant difference between the mirtazapine and placebo groups with respect to Barnes Akathisia rating Scale (BAS) and Sympsom-Angus Scale (SAS). However, the mirtazapine group exhibited a statistically significant increase in weight and BMI (p<0.05).

Conclusion: These results suggest that mirtazapine augmentation can be tolerable in schizophrenic patients treated with risperidone; however, we should pay attention to the weight gain with mirtazapine. Our results should be replicated in a large-scale lengthy trial.

Citing Articles

Mirtazapine adjunct for people with schizophrenia.

Perry L, Ramson D, Stricklin S Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018; 5:CD011943.

PMID: 29802811 PMC: 6494505. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD011943.pub2.

Randomized Controlled Trials of Add-On Antidepressants in Schizophrenia.

Terevnikov V, Joffe G, Stenberg J Int J Neuropsychopharmacol. 2015; 18(9).

PMID: 25991654 PMC: 4576515. DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyv049.

Antidepressants for cognitive impairment in schizophrenia--a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Vernon J, Grudnikoff E, Seidman A, Frazier T, Vemulapalli M, Pareek P Schizophr Res. 2014; 159(2-3):385-94.

PMID: 25240772 PMC: 4252251. DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2014.08.015.

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