Table 1.

Selected Characteristics of the Included Studies

	Study, country	Total (n)	Men/women (%)	Drug	n	Age (mean ± SD. y)	Duration (wk)	Dose (mg/d)	Out/inpatient	Duration of illness (y)	Symptom severity (BPRS or PANSS)	Concomitant txt	Attention/processing speed
1	Sumiyoshi et al. (2001) Japan	26	57.7/42.3	Tan Pbo	15 11	Tan: 27.8 ± 6.30, Pbo: 31.8 ± 9.40	6	30 (fixed)	Outpatient	Tan: 6.3 ± 4.30, Pbo: 7.5 ± 5.40	BPRS Tan: 16.8 ± 9.00 Pbo: 18.9 ± 8.70	Typical antipsychotic
2	Sumiyoshi et al. (2007) USA	73	56.2/43.8	Bus Pbo	36 37	Bus: 40.5 ± 11.80, Pbo: 39.7 ± 12.50	24	30 (fixed)	Outpatient	Bus: 19.0 ± 11.20 Pbo: 19.0 ± 13.50	BPRS Bus: 20.6 ± 8.00 Pbo: 20.0 ± 8.60	Atypical antipsychotic	Digital Symbol Substitution Test
3	Piškulić et al. (2009) Australia	18	77.8/22.2	Bus Pbo	9 9	Bus: 43.4 ± 10.30 Pbo: 37.2 ± 13.70	6	21.6 ± 3.75	Outpatient	Bus: 15.2 ± 10.20 Pbo: 11.7 ± 9.40	PANSS Bus:52.8 ± 9.30 Pbo:55.4 ± 14.90	Atypical antipsychotic
4	Ghaleiha et al. (2010) Iran	46	67.4/32.6	Bus Pbo	23 23	Bus: 32.86 ± 5.81 Pbo: 33.30 ± 6.86	8	60 (fixed)	Inpatient	–	PANSS Bus:112.85 ± 8.57 Pbo:112.85 ± 8.57	Atypical antipsychotic
5	Sheikhmoonesi et al. (2015) lran	50	80.0/20.0	Bus Pbo	25 25	Bus:46.68 ± 9.46 Pbo:47.32 ± 10.58	6	30 (fixed)	Inpatient	–	PANSS Bus:82.92 ± 3.07 Pbo:78.04 ± 3.21	Typical antipsychotic
6	Boustani et al. (2018) lran	40	65.0/35.0	Bus Pbo	20 20	Bus: 33.85 ± 8.03 Pbo: 33.60 ± 8.05	6	40 (fixed)	Inpatient	Bus:8.80 ± 4.45 Pbo: 7.85 ± 3.24	PANSS Bus:113.95 ± 10.21 Pbo:114.95 ± 11.03	Atypical antipsychotic
7	Wang et al. (2019) China	196	70.9/29.1	Bus Con	99 97	Bus: 39.81 ± 10.11 Con: 39.02 + 9.56	24	30 (fixed)	–	Bus: 12.01 ± 8.87 Con: 11.24 + 8.28	PANSS Bus: 48.03 ± 12.95 Con: 47.49 ± 12.32	Atypical antipsychotic	Digital Symbol Substitution Test

Abbreviations: BPRS, Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale; Bus, buspirone; Con, control; Pbo, placebo; PANSS, Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale; Tan, tandospirone; txt, treatment.