Effect of Delayed Clozapine Initiation on Acute Treatment Response in Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia
10.16946/kjsr.2021.24.2.52
- Author:
So Yung YANG
1
;
Jung-Kyu CHOI
;
Sunyoung PARK
;
Jaesub PARK
Author Information
1. Department of Psychiatry, National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital, Goyang, Korea
- Publication Type:Original Article
- From:Korean Journal of Schizophrenia Research
2021;24(2):52-59
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
Objectives:Recent studies have reported that delayed initiation of clozapine can affect clinical response in patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS). This study aimed to explore the relationship between delayed initiation of clozapine and acute treatment response.
Methods:Sixty-five inpatients with TRS who started clozapine for the first time were included through a retrospective chart review. Acute treatment response was defined as a 30% reduction in the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale score or a Clinical Global Impression of Improvement score of 1 (very much improved) or 2 (much improved) at 4 weeks after initiating clozapine.
Results:After meeting the TRS criteria, the mean delay for initiating clozapine was approximately 13.8 months. The delay was shorter in patients who showed a better response to clozapine in logistic regression analysis (p=0.037).
Conclusion:Our findings suggest that reducing the delay in initiating clozapine increases the effectiveness of clozapine in patients with TRS.
