This Article Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 0269881107083483v1 22/7/778    most recent References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Shajahan, P. Articles by Taylor, M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Shajahan, P. Articles by Taylor, M. Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Who responds to aripiprazole in clinical practice? An observational study of combination versus monotherapy

NHS Lanarkshire, Consultant Psychiatrist, The Airbles Road Centre, 49 Airbles Road, Motherwell, UK, polash.shajahan{at}lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk

A. MacRae

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Specialist Registrar, Springpark Mental Health Resource Centre, 101 Denmark Street, Glasgow, UK

M. Bashir

NHS Lanarkshire, Staff Grade Psychiatrist, The Airbles Road Centre, 49 Airbles Road, Motherwell, UK

M. Taylor

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Consultant Psychiatrist, Springpark Mental Health Resource Centre, 101 Denmark Street, Glasgow, UK

We aimed to study aripiprazole, as monotherapy and combined with other antipsychotics, in routine clinical practice, to identify patients who had a favourable clinical response. We retrospectively identified all secondary care psychiatric patient records started on aripiprazole (n = 85). We assigned Clinical Global Impression scores to measure effectiveness. We examined demographic and clinical correlates of patients who improved (CGI Improvement scores < 5) versus those who did not improve (CGI 5). 56 patients (66%) received aripiprazole as monotherapy, 29 patients (34%) in combination with other antipsychotics. 52 patients (62%) received a CGI 1-4 (minimally to very much improved), 32 patients (38%) a CGI 5 (no change to very much worse). Patients who improved were less likely to have had previous or subsequent treatment with clozapine (p = 0.04). Discontinuation was due to agitation (35%), inefficacy (21%), nausea (18%) and worsening psychosis (12%). Combination with other antipsychotics resulted in less discontinuation and a lower maximum dose of aripiprazole. Aripiprazole was combined with other regular additional antipsychotics in 1/3rd of patients. Combination and monotherapy were clinically effective in around 60% of patients. Favourable response was associated with lack of treatment resistance. Agitation was the commonest reason for discontinuation.

Key Words: aripiprazole • antipsychotics • combination treatment

This version was published on September 1, 2008

Journal of Psychopharmacology, Vol. 22, No. 7, 778-783 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/0269881107083483


CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?