Schizoaffective disorder depressed type

Janicak et al. (87) studied the relative efficacy and safety of risperidone versus haloperidol in the treatment of schizoaffective disorder. Sixty-two patients (29 depressed type, 33 bipolar type) entered a randomized, double-blind, 6-week trial of risperidone (up to 10 mg/day) or haloperidol (up to 20 mg/day). They found no difference between risperidone and haloperidol in the amelioration of psychotic and manic symptoms nor any significant worsening of mania with either agent. For the total PANSS, risperidone produced a mean decrease of 16 points from baseline, compared with a 14-point decrease with haloperidol. For the total CARS-M scale, risperidone and haloperidol produced mean change scores of 5 and 8 points, respectively and for the CARS-M mania factor, 3 and 7 points, respectively. 

One family study indicated that the schizoaffective-manic type tended to aggregate with classic bipolar disorder, while the schizoaffective-depressive type seemed to be more closely related to schizophrenia ( 37). 

Risperidone Acute Clinical Trials. Hillert et al. (107) found risperidone to have both antipsychotic and antidepressive properties in 10 patients with schizoaffective disorder, depressed type. These investigators prescribed 2 to 10 mg/day for 6 weeks in an open-label pilot study, and found marked improvement in psychosis in all patients and clinically significant overall improvement in psychosis in 7 to 10 patients. Two patients required antiparkinsonian drugs otherwise risperidone was well tolerated by the group. 

Dwight et al. (291) reported their experience with risperidone in eight patients with schizoaffective disorder (six bipolar type two depressive type). All six bipolar type patients showed the onset of or an increase in mania shortly after starting risperidone (mean number of treatment days = 7 3 mean dose = 7 1 mg/day). In this context, O Croinin et al. (292) reported on a chronic paranoid schizophrenic patient who was admitted in an acute psychotic state unresponsive to thioridazine or CPZ. Risperidone was started (6mg/day by day 3), but by the end of the first week she was displaying hypomanic symptoms. When risperidone was discontinued and haloperidol introduced, her hypomanic symptoms resolved. 

The role of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in schizoaffective disorder, depressed type... 

Lamotrigine seems to be more effective than iithium in such cases, especially taking into consideration the proven greater efficacy of iamotrigine in the treatment of bipolar depression.Carhamazepine, an anticonvulsant with known mood-stabilizing capacity, also seems to be superior to lithium in schizoaffective disorder, depressed type, and it may also be used in subsequent prophylaxis. 

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