J Korean Soc Biol Ther Psychiatry.  2024 Oct;30(3):95-102. 10.22802/jksbtp.2024.30.3.95.

Effectiveness of Aripiprazole Long-Acting Injection in Schizophrenia Patients Undergoing Antipsychotic Combination Therapy: A Retrospective Observational Study

• Seo JY
• Byun WT
• Kim SH
• Joo SH
• Jung IG
• Park TH
• Park YM

• KMID: 2563228
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.22802/jksbtp.2024.30.3.95

Abstract

Objectives
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of aripiprazole long-acting injection in patients with schizophrenia undergoing antipsychotics combination therapy.
Methods
We conducted a retrospective analysis using electronic medical records of patients with schizophrenia who initiated aripiprazole long-acting injectable and were treated with antipsychotics combination therapy. These patients were either admitted to a psychiatric hospital or treated as outpatients between June, 2019 and December, 2019.
Results
Seventeen patients met the inclusion criteria. The mean number of antipsychotics significantly decreased from 2.53 use to 1.81 at month 12 (p=0.018). Total antipsychotics olanzapine equivalent dose significantly decreased from 46.96 to 27.54 at month 12 (p=0.005). The number of combined medications including antidepressants, mood stabilizers, anxiolytics, and anticholinergics did not significantly change. Both the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) score and The Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) score significantly improved until month 24 (p=0.004, 0.038; respectively).
Conclusions
This observational study confirmed that aripiprazole long-acting injection is an effective treatment option for patients with schizophrenia undergoing antipsychotic combination therapy. Well-controlled clinical trials are necessary in the near future.

Keyword

Long-acting injectable antipsychotics; Antipsychotic agents; Aripiprazole; Schizophrenia; Drug combincation; Treatment efficacy