Minimizing Doses of Antipsychotic Medication in Older Patients With Schizophrenia.
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2015-08-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Since side effects of antipsychotics, dopamine D2 receptor blockers, frequently occur in
older patients with schizophrenia and the risk is dose dependent, clinical guidelines
universally advocate the use of lower doses. However, there is no report to test this dosing
guideline with measurements of D2 receptor blockade caused by antipsychotics. In this study,
dopamine D2 receptor occupancy will be measured, using Positron Emission Tomography (PET), in
40 patients aged 50 and older with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders before and after a
gradual 40 % dose reduction of antipsychotics that was safely achieved in the past study
while setting a target dose still above the lower limit of the dose range recommended in
clinical guidelines for older patients. Our goal is to relate changes in clinical outcome,
including subjective and objective clinical ratings, to dopamine D2 receptor occupancy, and
compare these results with the data for younger patients in the literature.