A randomized controlled trial of olanzapine improving memory deficits in Han Chinese patients with first-episode schizophrenia.

Abstract

Olanzapine is an atypical antipsychotic for the treatment of schizophrenia, in which memory impairment is a core deficit. The methods of positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS), Wechsler memory scale-4th edition (WMS-IV) and event-related potential (ERP) were used to study the effects of olanzapine on the cognitive function in the first-episode schizophrenic patients. We performed multicentre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group clinical trial to study the cognitive functioning in Han Chinese first-episode schizophrenic patients in a 12-week treatment regime with olanzapine (129 cases) or placebo (132 cases). The results showed that (1) the patients with first-episode schizophrenia showed significant deficits in the long-term memory, short-term memory, immediate memory and memory quotient by WMS-IV assessment, and decreases the total scores, positive symptoms, negative symptoms and general psychopathology by PANSS assessment; (2) olanzapine could significantly improve the PANSS scores including total scores, positive symptoms, negative symptoms and general psychopathology in the first-episode schizophrenic patients; (3) olanzapine could significantly improve the short-term memory, immediate memory and memory quotient in the first-episode schizophrenic patients; and (3) although the latencies of P(2), N(2) and P(3) were significantly prolonged, P(2) and P(3) amplitudes were decreased and the latencies of N(1) did not change, olanzapine did not influence any P(300) items in the first-episode schizophrenic patients. The data suggested that that olanzapine could improve cognitive process, such as memorizing and extraction of the information although there were many changes of cognitive functions in Han Chinese first-episode schizophrenic patients.

• Authors: Chang-Hong Wang, Yan Li, Jun Yang, Lin-Yan Su, Yao-Guo Geng, Hao Li, Ji-Kang Wang, Jun-Lin Mu
• Journal: Schizophrenia research (Schizophr Res) Vol. 144 Issue 1-3 Pg. 129-35 (Mar 2013) ISSN: 1573-2509 [Electronic] Netherlands
• PMID: 23352776 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Multicenter Study, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Antipsychotic Agents
• Benzodiazepines
• Olanzapine

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Antipsychotic Agents (administration & dosage, pharmacology)
• Benzodiazepines (administration & dosage, pharmacology)
• China (ethnology)
• Double-Blind Method
• Evoked Potentials (drug effects, physiology)
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Memory Disorders (drug therapy, etiology, physiopathology)
• Memory, Short-Term (drug effects)
• Middle Aged
• Neuropsychological Tests
• Olanzapine
• Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
• Schizophrenia (complications, drug therapy, physiopathology)
• Young Adult