Cheng 2009.

Methods	Allocation: randomised, no further details. Blindness: unclear. Duration: eight weeks. Design: parallel. Setting: inpatient, China.
Participants	Diagnosis: schizophrenia (CCMD‐3). PANSS of 60 or more, SANS of 60 or more. N = 86. Age: aripiprazole group: mean = (29.35 ± 7.6) years; ziprasidone group: mean= (30.28 ± 8.1) years. Gender: aripiprazole group: 25 male, 18 female; ziprasidone group: 26 male, 17 female. History: aripiprazole group: mean = (5.23 ± 2.81) years; ziprasidone group: mean = (5.16 ± 2.6) years. Age at onset not reported.
Interventions	1. Aripiprazole: Dose range: 5‐20 mg/day. Mean = (11.7 ± 1.2) mg/day. N = 43. 2. Ziprasidone: Dose range: 20‐120 mg/day. Mean = (86.26 ± 10.2) mg/day. N = 43.
Outcomes	Global state: PANSS score decreased rate (recovery: ≥ 75%, markedly improved: 50%‐75%, improved: 25%‐50%, no effect: < 25%). Mental state: PANSS total score, PANSS positive subscale score, PANSS negative subscale score, PANSS general pathological subscale score. SANS total score score. Adverse effects.
Notes
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Randomised, no further details.
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Not reported.
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	Not reported.
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	Unclear if outcome was assessed blindly.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	Low risk	No incomplete data.
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	High risk	Data on CGI‐GI score, TESS score, blood routine, urine routine, use of benzodiazepines and anticholinergic medication were missing.
Other bias	Low risk	None obvious.