Table 1.
Baseline participant characteristics.
| Parameter | Sarcosine (n = 28) | Placebo (n = 30) | p |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men | 19 (67.9%) | 15 (50.0%) | NS |
| Age (years) | 38.0 ± 11.0 (33.7–42.2) | 40.2 ± 10.1 (36.4–44.0) | NS |
| Education (years) | 14.4 ± 2.7 (13.4–15.4) | 14.0 ± 2.6 (13.0–14.9) | NS |
| Smoking | 9 (32.1%) | 19 (63.3%) | 0.02 |
| Treatment duration (years) | 14.6 ± 8.9 (11.2–18.0) | 11.6 ± 4.9 (9.7–13.4) | NS |
| Number of hospitalizations | 4.8 ± 5.7 (2.5–7.0) | 4.2 ± 4.8 (2.4–5.9) | NS |
| Time from last hospitalization (years) | 2.9 ± 4.2 (1.3–4.6) | 4.7 ± 4.6 (2.9–6.5) | NS |
| SGA | 24 (88.9%) | 28 (96.5%) | NS |
| FGA | 4 (14.8%) | 8 (26.7%) | NS |
| Antidepressants | 12 (44.4%) | 11 (36.7%) | NS |
| Initial PANSS score | 69.5 ± 14.2 (64.0–75.0) | 72.5 ± 12.5 (67.8–77.1) | NS |
| Positive subscale | 10.2 ± 2.9 (9.0–11.3) | 10.4 ± 3.1 (9.2–11.6) | NS |
| Negative subscale | 25.7 ± 5.3 (23.6–27.7) | 26.1 ± 5.0 (24.3–28.0) | NS |
| General subscale | 33.6 ± 8.2 (30.5–36.8) | 35.9 ± 7.4 (33.1–38.7) | NS |
| Initial CDSS score | 3.7 ± 3.1 (2.5–4.9) | 3.6 ± 2.8 (2.5–4.6) | NS |
| Patients with depression | 6 (21.4%) | 5 (16.7%) | NS |
Data given as: n (%) or mean ± standard deviation (95% CI (confidential intervals)); SGA = second-generation antipsychotics; FGA = first-generation antipsychotics; PANSS = Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale; CDSS = Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia; NS = non significant.