Table 1.
Methodology
| Study | Comparators | Doses (DDD) | Diagnoses | Age | Phase/status | N0/Nitt/N1 | Follow-up | Funding |
| FIRST EPISODE | ||||||||
| Crespo-Facorro et al. [24] | Haloperidol Olanzapine Risperidone |
5.4 mg (0.68) 15.3 mg (1.53) 4.0 mg (0.80) |
Schizophrenia and related, non-affective psychosis | 15–60 years | Acute, first episode in- and outpatients | 172/172/165 | 6 weeks | Independent |
| McEvoy et al. [25] | Olanzapine Quetiapine Risperidone |
11.7 mg (1.17) 506.0 mg (1.27) 2.4 mg (0.5) |
Schizophrenia, schizoaffective- schizophreniform disorder | 16–40 years | Acute, first episode in- and outpatients | 400/-/119 | 12 months | AstraZeneca company |
| Robinson et al. [26] | Olanzapine Risperidone |
11.8 mg (1.18) 3.9 mg (0.78) |
Schizophrenia, schizoaffective- schizophreniform disorder | 16–40 years | Acute, first episode | 120/112/81 | 4 months | Independent |
| ACUTE PHASE | ||||||||
| Chrzanowski et al. [27] | Aripiprazole Olanzapine |
22.0 mg (1.47) 14.2 mg (1.42) |
Schizophrenia | ≥ 18 years | Acute psychosis/chronic stable in- and outpatients | 214/214/147 | 52 weeks | BMS/Otsuka |
| Kraus et al. [28] | Olanzapine Risperidone |
12.4 mg (1.24) 3.4 mg (0.39) |
Psychosis; positive symptoms | 18–60 years | Acute, inpatients | 85/-/68 | Not defined | Independent |
| McCue et al. [29] | Aripiprazole Haloperidol Olanzapine Quetiapine Risperidone Ziprasidone |
21.8 mg1 (1.45) 16.0 mg 1(2.00) 19.1 mg 1(1.91) 652.5 mg1 (1.63) 5.2 mg1 (1.04) 151.2 mg1 (1.89) |
Schizophrenia, schizoaffective- schizophreniform disorder | ≥ 18 years | Acute, inpatients | 327/319/301 | 3 weeks | Independent |
| CHRONIC PHASE | ||||||||
| Jerrel [30] | Olanzapine Risperidone Haloperidol Haloperidol (d) Fluphenazine (d) |
13.8 mg (1.38) 5.3 mg (1.06) 15.5 mg (1.93) 6.3 mg (1.92) 3.0 mg (0.43) |
Schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder | 18–54 years | Chronic, inpatients acute care | 108/-/84 | 12 months | Independent |
| Lieberman et al. [31] | Olanzapine Perphenazine Quetiapine Risperidone Ziprasidone |
20.1 mg (2.01) 20.8 mg (0.69) 543.4 mg (1.36) 3.9 mg (0.78) 112.8 mg (1.41) |
Schizophrenia | 18–65 years | Chronic, not treatment resistant, in- and outpatients | 1493/1432/371 | 18 months | Independent |
| Mullen et al. [32] | Quetiapine Risperidone |
329.0 mg (0.82) 5.0 mg (1.00) |
Psychotic disorders2 | > 18 years | Outpatients | 728/-/493 | 4 months | AstraZeneca company |
| Ritchie et al. [33] | Olanzapine Risperidone |
9.9 mg (0.99) 1.7 mg (0.34) |
Schizophrenia | > 60 years | Outpatients, switch from FGAs | 66/61/52 | switch period (mean 40 days) | Eli Lilly company |
| Ritchie et al. [34] | Olanzapine Risperidone |
12.4 mg (1.24) 2.0 mg (0.39) |
Schizophrenia | > 60 years | Outpatients, switch from FGAs | 66/61/42 | 6 months | Eli Lilly company |
| Rosenheck et al. [35] | Olanzapine Perphenazine Quetiapine Risperidone Ziprasidone |
Not disclosed - - - - |
Schizophrenia | 18–65 years | Chronic, not treatment resistant, in- and outpatients | 1493/1424/363 | 18 months | Independent |
| Stroup et al. [36] | Olanzapine Quetiapine Risperidone Ziprasidone |
20.5 mg (2.05) 565.2 mg (1.41) 4.1 mg (0.82) 115.9 mg (1.45) |
Schizophrenia | 18–65 years | Chronic, not treatment resistant, in- and outpatients, discontinued previous SGA because of intolerability | 444/333/88 | 18 months | Independent |
| Stroup et al. [37] | Olanzapine Quetiapine Risperidone |
20.7 mg (2.07) 586.1 mg (1.47) 3.7 mg (0.74) |
Schizophrenia | 18–65 years | Chronic, not treatment resistant, in- and outpatients, discontinued Perphenazine | 115/114/37 | 18 months | Independent |
| Swartz et al. [38] | Olanzapine Perphenazine Quetiapine Risperidone Ziprasidone |
Not disclosed - - - - |
Schizophrenia | 18–65 years | Chronic, not treatment resistant, in- and outpatients | 1493/985/455 | 18 months | Independent |
| Tunis et al. [39] | Olanzapine Risperidone Haloperidol Perphenazine |
13.5 mg (1.35) 4.9 mg (0.99) 11.0 mg (1.37) 14.2 mg (0.47) |
Schizophrenia, schizoaffective- schizophreniform disorder, ≥ 18 on the BPRS | ≥ 18 years | Primarily outpatients | 664/-/455 | 12 months | Eli Lilly company |
Abbreviations: Comparators = Antipsychotics being compared in the studies; Doses = Mean daily doses of the antipsychotics; DDD = Defined Daily Doses of the antipsychotics; Diagnoses = Diagnoses defined in inclusion criteria; Age = Age of study participants; Phase = Phase of psychotic illness of study participants: acute or chronic; Status = Status of study participants: first episode, inpatients, outpatients; N0 = Number of participants at baseline; Nitt = Number in intention to treat group (not disclosed in all studies as indicated by (-)), N1 = Number of completers; Follow-up = Duration of study follow-up; Funding = Financial support of study; BMS = Bristol-Myers Squibb; Otsuka = Otsuka America Pharmaceuticals, inc.; Independent = Study financially supported by sources independent of the pharmaceutical industry. A = Aripiprazole, FGAs = First generation antipsychotics, H = Haloperidol, O = Olanzapine, P = Perphenazine, Q = Quetiapine, R = Risperidone, Z = Ziprasidone, BPRS = the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, d = depot formulation.
1 Mean maximum daily dosage
2 Schizophrenia, schizophreniform -, schizoaffective -, delusional disorder, major depressive disorder with psychotic features, Alzheimer's dementia with psychotic symptoms, vascular dementia, dementia due to substance abuse