However, the mean change from baseline in the risperidone equivalent dose and the biperiden equivalent dose was significantly lower in the older group switched to RLAI than in the control group. The mean diazepam equivalent dose was a significant decrease from baseline in both the older and younger groups switched to RLAI, but no significant difference was seen between the two groups (Table 3). However, Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical the mean change from baseline in the diazepam equivalent dose was significantly lower in

the older group switched to RLAI than in the control group. No significant difference was seen in the mean change from baseline in the mean doses of sennoside and magnesium oxide between the older and younger groups switched to RLAI. However, the mean change from baseline in the dose of sennoside

was significantly lower in the older group switched to RLAI than in the control group. Table 3. Change of risperidone equivalent dose and concomitant medications. Discussion No differences Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical were seen in efficacy in the improvement of clinical symptoms between Selleckchem ABT-869 inpatients with schizophrenia switched to RLAI for 24 weeks and those who continued to receive oral risperidone (control group). The results of this study suggest that switching from oral risperidone to RLAI resulted in similar clinical efficacy Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical in both older and younger patients. Our findings are therefore consistent with the results of other clinical studies conducted to date [Kamijima et al. 2009; Kane et al. 2003; Lasser et al. 2004]. However, one previous Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical study suggested that RLAI resulted in significantly lower serum concentrations of risperidone plus 9-OH risperidone than oral risperidone [Nesvag et al. 2006]. Furthermore, this may be a rather poor indication of the antipsychotic Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical efficacy of risperidone. Although it is not known why the results of the present study differ from those of the previous study, one possibility

is that the results may have been influenced by older patients with lower average body weight and racial differences. In the present study all patients initiated on treatment with RLAI continued for 24 weeks. no However, in a previous study a small proportion of patients initiated on treatment with RLAI continued for 3 years [Taylor et al. 2009a] and the median number of days in hospital increased significantly in the 3 years after RLAI initiation [Taylor et al. 2009b]. Although it is not known why the results of the present study differ from the results of the previous study, one possibility is that they may have been influenced by the shorter study duration and symptomatically stable inpatients. The study results also suggest that switching from oral risperidone to RLAI prevents the emergence of drug-induced extrapyramidal symptoms, which is normally one of the risk factors for reduced ADL in older patients.