Abstract:

This study evaluated the effect of switching outpatients with schizophrenia and antipsychotic-induced sexual dysfunction to open-label quetiapine treatment. Secondary objectives were to compare the antipsychotic and prolactin-related effects of quetiapine versus prestudy antipsychotic treatment. Eight patients with at least moderately severe antipsychotic-induced sexual dysfunction (N=7 taking risperidone, 4–6 mg/d;N=1 taking haloperidol, 10 mg/d) were evaluated prospectively after they switched to 6 weeks of quetiapine treatment. The assessments that we used included evaluations of sexual functioning (Arizona Sexual Experience Scale [ASEX]; McGahuey et al., 2000), psychopathology (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale [PANSS]; Kay, Fiszbeinm, & Opler, 1997), adverse events, and plasma prolactin levels. Quetiapine was associated with clinically and statistically significant improvement in ASEX total scores (p=0.008) and significantly decreased PANSS total scores (p=0.03). Plasma prolactin levels tended to decrease after the transition to quetiapine (p=0.09). Quetiapine appears to offer an option to reduce antipsychotic-induced sexual dysfunction for outpatients with schizophrenia.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1080/00926230490465082

Affiliations: 1: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas, USA