Effects of risperidone/paliperidone versus placebo on cognitive functioning over the first 6 months of treatment for psychotic disorder: secondary analysis of a triple-blind randomised clinical trial

Bibliographic Details
Title: Effects of risperidone/paliperidone versus placebo on cognitive functioning over the first 6 months of treatment for psychotic disorder: secondary analysis of a triple-blind randomised clinical trial
Authors: Kelly Allott, Hok Pan Yuen, Lara Baldwin, Brian O’Donoghue, Alex Fornito, Sidhant Chopra, Barnaby Nelson, Jessica Graham, Melissa J. Kerr, Tina-Marie Proffitt, Aswin Ratheesh, Mario Alvarez-Jimenez, Susy Harrigan, Ellie Brown, Andrew D. Thompson, Christos Pantelis, Michael Berk, Patrick D. McGorry, Shona M. Francey, Stephen J. Wood
Source: Translational Psychiatry, Vol 13, Iss 1, Pp 1-9 (2023)
Publisher Information: Nature Publishing Group, 2023.
Publication Year: 2023
Collection: LCC:Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry
Subject Terms: Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry, RC321-571
More Details: Abstract The drivers of cognitive change following first-episode psychosis remain poorly understood. Evidence regarding the role of antipsychotic medication is primarily based on naturalistic studies or clinical trials without a placebo arm, making it difficult to disentangle illness from medication effects. A secondary analysis of a randomised, triple-blind, placebo-controlled trial, where antipsychotic-naive patients with first-episode psychotic disorder were allocated to receive risperidone/paliperidone or matched placebo plus intensive psychosocial therapy for 6 months was conducted. A healthy control group was also recruited. A cognitive battery was administered at baseline and 6 months. Intention-to-treat analysis involved 76 patients (antipsychotic medication group: 37; 18.6Mage [2.9] years; 21 women; placebo group: 39; 18.3Mage [2.7]; 22 women); and 42 healthy controls (19.2Mage [3.0] years; 28 women). Cognitive performance predominantly remained stable (working memory, verbal fluency) or improved (attention, processing speed, cognitive control), with no group-by-time interaction evident. However, a significant group-by-time interaction was observed for immediate recall (p = 0.023), verbal learning (p = 0.024) and delayed recall (p = 0.005). The medication group declined whereas the placebo group improved on each measure (immediate recall: p = 0.024; η p 2 = 0.062; verbal learning: p = 0.015; η p 2 = 0.072 both medium effects; delayed recall: p = 0.001; η p 2 = 0.123 large effect). The rate of change for the placebo and healthy control groups was similar. Per protocol analysis (placebo n = 16, medication n = 11) produced similar findings. Risperidone/paliperidone may worsen verbal learning and memory in the early months of psychosis treatment. Replication of this finding and examination of various antipsychotic agents are needed in confirmatory trials. Antipsychotic effects should be considered in longitudinal studies of cognition in psychosis. Trial registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ( http://www.anzctr.org.au/ ; ACTRN12607000608460).
Document Type: article
File Description: electronic resource
Language: English
ISSN: 2158-3188
Relation: https://doaj.org/toc/2158-3188
DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02501-7
Access URL: https://doaj.org/article/14253faad11d4114898a35707398699b
Accession Number: edsdoj.14253faad11d4114898a35707398699b
Database: Directory of Open Access Journals
More Details
ISSN:21583188
DOI:10.1038/s41398-023-02501-7
Published in:Translational Psychiatry
Language:English