PREvent First Episode Relapse (PREFER)

Summary

Many patients who have recently received a diagnosis of schizophrenia (e.g., "first-episode schizophrenia") respond very well to their antipsychotic medication when they are acutely ill. Once they are more stable, research has shown that first-episode patients need to remain on their antipsychotic medication. Follow-up studies show that stopping medication prematurely is the most common cause of relapse and readmission. It is important to have new ways to help patients stay stable in the community in order for them to continue on with their rehabilitation and recovery process. Over the last decade, new antipsychotic medications have been developed that are more effective and have fewer side effects than older antipsychotics. The new medicines are often called "atypical", and were only available by pill or capsule for long-term treatment. Most recently, one of the atypical medications - risperidone - became available as a long-acting injection that can be given once every 2 weeks. The hypothesis of this study is that patients recovering from an acute episode and who then go on to receive a long-acting version of atypical antipsychotic medication (long-acting risperidone microspheres) will stay on their medications for longer than those who take their atypical medication (any available first-line atypical) in the oral (pill) form.

Timeline

Start

2004-11

Primary completion

—

Completion

2007-12

Publications

• Weiden PJ, Schooler NR, Weedon JC, Elmouchtari A, Sunakawa-McMillan A. Maintenance treatment with long-acting injectable risperidone in first-episode schizophrenia: a randomized effectiveness study. J Clin Psychiatry. 2012 Sep;73(9):1224-33. doi: 10.4088/JCP.11m06905. Epub 2012 Aug 7.
• Weiden PJ, Schooler NR, Weedon JC, Elmouchtari A, Sunakawa A, Goldfinger SM. A randomized controlled trial of long-acting injectable risperidone vs continuation on oral atypical antipsychotics for first-episode schizophrenia patients: initial adherence outcome. J Clin Psychiatry. 2009 Oct;70(10):1397-406. doi: 10.4088/JCP.09m05284yel.

Drugs

Indications