Cognitive dysfunction is increasingly considered to be the strongest clinical predictor of poor long-term outcome in schizophrenia. Associations have been found between the severity of cognitive deficits and social dysfunction, impairments in independent living, occupational limitations, and disturbances in quality of life (QOL).

In this cross-sectional study, the relationships of cognitive deficits and treatment outcomes in terms of QOL, needs, and psychosocial functioning were examined in 60 outpatients with schizophrenia who had a duration of illness over 2 years and had been treated with either clozapine or olanzapine for at least 6 months.

The present study suggests that cognitive functioning might be a predictor of work functioning/independent living outcome in stabilized patients with schizophrenia: deficits of visual memory and working memory were negatively associated with occupational functioning, and older patients lived independently and/or in a stable partnership more often. The patients' assessments of QOL and needs for care did not show any significant associations with cognitive functioning.

These findings suggest that cognitive functioning is a key determinant of work functioning/independent living for stable outpatients with schizophrenia.

The present cross-sectional study examined the relationships of psychopathology, side effects, and sociodemographic factors with treatment outcomes in terms of patients' quality of life (QOL), functioning, and needs for care.

Sixty outpatients with chronic schizophrenia who had been treated with either clozapine or olanzapine for at least 6 months were investigated.

Most psychopathological symptoms as well as psychic side effects, weight gain, and female sex were associated with lower QOL, while cognitive symptoms correlated with better QOL. Female sex, cognitive symptoms, and parkinsonism negatively influenced occupational functioning, and negative symptoms determined a lesser likelihood of living independently. Age, education, depression/anxiety, negative symptoms, and psychic side effects were predictors of patients' needs for care.

Our results highlight the complex nature of patient outcomes in schizophrenia. They reemphasize the need of targeting effectiveness, i.e. both symptomatic improvement as well as drug safety, in such patients.

Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is significantly affected in individuals with schizophrenia or bipolar I disorder (BD-I). The current study investigated whether symptomatic remission and resilience might differently impact HRQOL in these patients.

Fifty-two patients with schizophrenia and 60 patients suffering from BD-I from outpatient mental health services as well as 77 healthy control subjects from the general community were included into a cross-sectional study. HRQOL and resilience were assessed using the WHOQOL-BREF and the Resilience Scale. In patients, psychopathology was quantified by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale or the Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale and the Young Mania Rating Scale, respectively.

Notably, both patient groups showed lower HRQOL and resilience compared to control subjects, non-remitted patients indicated lower HRQOL than remitted ones. The effect of remission on HRQOL was significantly larger in patients with BD-I than in those with schizophrenia but did not explain the difference in HRQOL between groups. Resilience predicted HRQOL in all three groups. When accounting for the effect of resilience among remitted patients, only the difference in HRQOL between schizophrenia patients and control subjects was significant.

These findings demonstrate the impact of symptomatic remission and resilience on HRQOL of both patients suffering from schizophrenia and BD-I and indicate that these factors are especially relevant for HRQOL of patients with BD-I.

The Antipsychotic Long-acTing injection in schizOphrenia (ALTO) study was a non-interventional study across several European countries examining prescription of long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics to identify sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of patients receiving and physicians prescribing LAIs. ALTO was also the first large-scale study in Europe to report on the use of both first- or second-generation antipsychotic (FGA- or SGA-) LAIs.

Patients with schizophrenia receiving a FGA- or SGA-LAI were enrolled between June 2013 and July 2014 and categorized as incident or prevalent users. Assessments included measures of disease severity, functioning, insight, well-being, attitudes towards antipsychotics, and quality of life.

For the 572 patients, disease severity was generally mild-to-moderate and the majority were unemployed and/or socially withdrawn. 331/572 were prevalent LAI antipsychotic users; of whom 209 were prescribed FGA-LAI. Paliperidone was the most commonly prescribed SGA-LAI (56% of incident users, 21% of prevalent users). 337/572 (58.9%) were considered at risk of non-adherence. Prevalent LAI users had a tendency towards better insight levels (PANSS G12 item). Incident FGA-LAI users had more severe disease, poorer global functioning, lower quality of life, higher rates of non-adherence, and were more likely to have physician-reported lack of insight.

These results indicate a lower pattern of FGA-LAI usage, reserved by prescribers for seemingly more difficult-to-treat patients and those least likely to adhere to oral medication.

Long-acting injectable formulations of antipsychotics are treatment alternatives to oral agents.

To assess the efficacy of aripiprazole once-monthly compared with oral aripiprazole for maintenance treatment of schizophrenia.

A 38-week, double-blind, active-controlled, non-inferiority study; randomisation (2:2:1) to aripiprazole once-monthly 400 mg, oral aripiprazole (10–30 mg/day) or aripiprazole once-monthly 50mg (a dose below the therapeutic threshold for assay sensitivity). (Trial registration: clinicaltrials.gov, NCT00706654.)

A total of 1118 patients were screened, and 662 responders to oral aripiprazole were randomised. Kaplan–Meier estimated impending relapse rates at week 26 were 7.12% for aripiprazole once-monthly 400mg and 7.76% for oral aripiprazole. This difference (−0.64%, 95% CI −5.26 to 3.99) excluded the predefined non-inferiority margin of 11.5%. Treatments were superior to aripiprazole once-monthly 50mg (21.80%, P⩽0.001).

Aripiprazole once-monthly 400mg was non-inferior to oral aripiprazole, and the reduction in Kaplan–Meier estimated impending relapse rate at week 26 was statistically significant v. aripiprazole once-monthly 50 mg.

Second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) represent an advance in the long-term management of schizophrenia.

To review the available evidence concerning SGA long-acting injections (LAIs).

A systematic review of the literature was conducted using PubMed.

Risperidone long-acting injection was the first licensed SGA–LAI compound and is effective in the long-term management of schizophrenia, with a safety profile similar to that of oral risperidone. Olanzapine pamoate has recently been approved in Europe. In terms of efficacy, at injection intervals of up to 4 weeks it appears comparable to oral olanzapine, although the potential for ‘post-injection syndrome’ (delirium) calls for additional safety considerations. Paliperidone palmitate is currently under review with the licensing authorities. It also affords the potential advantage of monthly dosing.

More long-term comparisons of SGA–LAIs with oral SGAs as well as with first-generation antipsychotic LAIs are needed. These studies should include cost-effectiveness data.

El presente estudio transversal examinó las relaciones de las manifestaciones psicopatológicas, los efectos secundarios y los factores sociodemográficos con el resultado del tratamiento desde el punto de vista de la calidad de vida (CdV), el funcionamiento y las necesidades de asistencia de los pacientes.

Se estudió a 60 pacientes ambulatorios con esquizofrenia crónica que habían tenido tratamiento con clozapina u olanzapina durante 6 meses al menos.

La mayoría de los síntomas psicopatológicos, igual que los efectos secundarios psíquicos, el aumento de peso y el sexo femenino se asociaban con una CdV más baja, mientras que los síntomas cognitivos correlacionaban con una CdV mejor. El sexo femenino, los síntomas cognitivos y el parkinsonismo influían negativamente en el funcionamiento ocupacional, y los síntomas negativos determinaban una menor probabilidad de vida independiente. La edad, el nivel educativo, la depresión/ansiedad, los síntomas negativos y los efectos secundarios psíquicos eran predictores de las necesidades de asistencia de los pacientes.

Nuestros resultados destacan la naturaleza compleja de la evolución del paciente en la esquizofrenia y ponen de nuevo el énfasis en la necesidad de centrarse en la eficacia, es decir, en la mejoría de los síntomas y además la seguridad farmacológica, en estos pacientes.

Se considera cada vez más que la disfunción cognitiva es el predictor clínico más fuerte de mala evolución a largo plazo en la esquizofrenia. Se han encontrado asociaciones entre la gravedad de los déficit cognitivos y la disfunción social, la afectación de la vida independiente, las limitaciones ocupacionales y las perturbaciones en la calidad de vida (CdV).

En este estudio transversal, se examinó las relaciones de los déficit cognitivos y el resultado del tratamiento desde el punto de vista de la CdV, las necesidades y el funcionamiento psicosocial en 60 pacientes ambulatorios con esquizofrenia que tenían una duración de la enfermedad de más de 2 años y habían recibido tratamiento con clozapina u olanzapina durante al menos 6 meses.

El presente estudio indica que el funcionamiento cognitivo podría ser un predictor de la evolución en el funcionamiento laboral/vida independiente en los pacientes estabilizados con esquizofrenia: los déficit de memoria visual y memoria operativa se asociaban negativamente con el funcionamiento ocupacional, y los pacientes mayores vivían independientemente, en pareja estable o ambas cosas más a menudo. Las evaluaciones de los pacientes de la CdV y las necesidades de asistencia no mostraron asociaciones significativas con el funcionamiento cognitivo.

Estos hallazgos indican que el funcionamiento cognitivo es un determinante clave del funcionamiento laboral/vida independiente para los pacientes ambulatorios estables con esquizofrenia.

The extent to which antipsychotics improve patients' well-being is uncertain.

To examine psychopathology and patient-rated functioning and well-being in patients treated with risperidone.

In a 1-year, open-label, international multicentre trial of long-acting risperidone in 615 stable adult patients with schizophrenia, self-rated functioning and well-being were measured every 3 months using the Short Form 36-item questionnaire (SF–36). Psychopathology was quantified using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS).

Significant improvements were found on the SF–36 mental component summary score and vitality and social functioning scales. PANSS and mental component summary scores were moderately correlated.

Patient-reported functioning and well-being appear to differ from investigator-rated psychotic symptoms. Patient-rated well-being should be assessed with symptoms to help measure treatment outcomes.