Comparison of Efficacy and Prolactin Concentrations between Aripiprazole and Risperidone Treatments in Patients with Schizophrenia

Objective: To compare the prolactin concentrations between aripiprazole and risperidone treatment in patients with schizophrenia.Methods: One hundred and twenty-eight schizophrenic patients with hyperprolactinemia were randomly divided into risperidone group and aripiprazole group.Patients in the risperidone group were treated with risperidone and in the aripiprazole group were treated with aripiprazol instead of risperidone for 8 weeks.The prolactin concentrations were assessed and compared between two groups at weeks 0,1,2,4,6,and 8.The clinical status was assessed by using the positive and negative syndrome scale(PANSS) and the clinical global impressions scale(CGIS) at weeks 0 and 8.Results: Fifty-three in the risperidone group and 48 in the aripiprazole group were available for analyzing.Shift risperidone to aripiprazole was effective in reducing serum prolactin levels.The serum prolactin levels in the risperidone group was significantly lower than that in the aripiprazole group at week 8(P0.001).No significant changes was found in the PANSS and CGI-S scores between the two groups.Conclusion: Shift risperidone to aripiprazole was effective in reducing serum prolactin levels of schizophrenia patients with hyperprolactinemia.