Clin Psychopharmacol Neurosci.  2023 Feb;21(1):126-134. 10.9758/cpn.2023.21.1.126.

Effects of Long-acting Injectable 3-Monthly Paliperidone Palmitate on the Clinical and Social Performance of Patients with Schizophrenia

• Oh J
• Oh J
• Kim DW
• Youn H
• Kim SH
• Kim SI
• Chung IW
• Wang KS
• Kim M
• Paik JW
• Koh MJ
• Lee Y
• Choi SY
• Kim JJ

• KMID: 2539657
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.9758/cpn.2023.21.1.126

Abstract

Objective
To investigate the effects of long-acting injectable 3-monthly paliperidone palmitate on the clinical and social functioning of patients with schizophrenia.
Methods
This study enrolled patients with schizophrenia receiving long-acting injectable 1-monthly paliperidone palmitate for at least 4 months and who subsequently received 3-monthly paliperidone palmitate. Accordingly, 418 patients were followed up for 24 weeks. Their clinical symptoms and social functioning were measured using the Clinical Global Impression-Severity of Illness and Personal and Social Performance scales.
Results
The Personal and Social Performance total score was significantly higher after 3-monthly paliperidone palmitate treatment than at baseline (baseline vs. week 24: 54.3 ± 18.0 vs. 61.0 ± 14.5 [mean ± standard deviation]; p ＜ 0.001; Wilcoxon signed-rank test); the proportion of patients in the mildly ill group (scores 71−100) also increased significantly (baseline vs. week 24: 16.5% vs. 20.6%; p＜ 0.001; McNemar-Bowker test). The mean Clinical Global Impression-Severity of Illness score decreased significantly (baseline vs. week 24: 3.7 ± 1.0 vs. 3.4 ± 0.9; p＜ 0.001; Wilcoxon signed-rank test), as did the proportion of patients in the severely ill group (baseline vs. week 24: 4.1% vs. 2.1%; p ＜ 0.001; McNemar-Bowker test).
Conclusion
Continuous 3-monthly paliperidone palmitate treatment significantly enhances the personal and social performance of patients with schizophrenia and reduces the proportion of those with severe illness. These findings suggest that long-acting injectable antipsychotic administration at intervals longer than 1 month might improve the social functioning of and promote return to activities of daily living in patients with schizophrenia.

Keyword

Schizophrenia; Antipsychotics; Paliperidone palmitate; Clinical global impression; Personal and social performance.