Add-on mirtazapine enhances effects on cognition in schizophrenic patients under stabilized treatment with clozapine

Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology
Roberto Delle ChiaieMassimo Biondi

Abstract

The development of therapeutic strategies for cognitive dysfunction remains one of the primary goals in the treatment of schizophrenia. The pharmacodynamic profile of mirtazapine, an antidepressant that enhances noradrenergic and serotonergic transmission, is based on a presynaptic alpha2 antagonism and postsynaptic 5-HT2 and 5-HT3 antagonism. Mirtazapine shares some pharmacological similarities with that of clozapine. This 8-week open label trial aimed to discover whether the addition of 30 mg mirtazapine could potentiate the effects on cognition of an ongoing stabilized clozapine therapy in 15 persons who met the criteria for chronic schizophrenia in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., text rev.; American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Mirtazapine adjunction was well tolerated and induced a significant improvement in cognitive performance, as measured by the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS; Randolph, 1998) total score and by the subscales for immediate and delayed memory (p<.01). Since Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D; Hamilton, 1967), Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS; Overall & Gorham, 1962), and Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptom...Continue Reading

Citations

Feb 22, 2012·Advances in Therapy·Helen KitchenPat Sacco
Oct 7, 2014·Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy·Maria Rosaria A MuscatelloRocco Zoccali
Sep 13, 2011·European Neuropsychopharmacology : the Journal of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology·Stefano PorcelliAlessandro Serretti
Mar 16, 2011·Progress in Neuro-psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry·Jan-Henry StenbergGrigori Joffe
Jun 30, 2009·Alzheimer's & Dementia : the Journal of the Alzheimer's Association·Ronald BlackYaakov Stern
Feb 24, 2012·Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica·R E NielsenJ Nielsen
Sep 29, 2011·Pharmacotherapy·Stephanie V Phan, Tiffany-Jade M Kreys
May 21, 2015·The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology·Viacheslav TerevnikovJan-Henry Stenberg
Nov 28, 2009·The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology·Jan-Henry StenbergGrigori Joffe
Aug 15, 2021·Neuropsychopharmacology Reports·UNKNOWN Japanese Society of Neuropsychopharmacology

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Antipsychotic Drugs

Antipsychotic drugs are a class of medication primarily used to manage psychosis (including delusions, hallucinations, paranoia or disordered thought), principally in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Discover the latest research on antipsychotic drugs here