The effect of risperidone on cognition in patients with schizophrenia

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the effect of risperidone on cognitive functions after both 6 weeks and 6 months of treatment and to determine whether any improvement on neuropsychological function relates to improvement in psychopathology.

Method: Patients' psychiatric and extrapyramidal symptoms were assessed while they were receiving classical neuroleptic treatment and adjunctive medications. Patients were then reassessed after changing to a new treatment of risperidone.

Results: During treatment with risperidone, schizophrenic patients displayed improved performance mainly on attentional components, specifically, selective attention and alertness.

Conclusion: In patients who were given risperidone, there was a positive correlation between improvement in psychopathology and improvement in cognitive tests of explicit memory and alertness.