[Quality of life in schizophrenic patients treated with classic and "old" atypical neuroleptics]

Subjective health-related quality of life was evaluated in 100 patients from day-hospital, treated for schizophrenia with classical (perazine, perphenazine, zuclopenthixol) or "old" atypical (klozapine, sulpiride) neuroleptics. No correlation was found between the clinical improvement (PANSS scale) and the quality of life (SF-36). After the treatment the improvement of the quality of life was significantly better in female than in male patients. In women more correlations were found between clinical improvement after treatment and the of quality of life domains. The general subjective health-related quality of life after treatment with classical and "old" atypical drugs did not differ. After the treatment those patients who received classical neuroleptics reported more physical complains but better improvement in the domain "role-emotional" than the subjects treated with "old" atypical drugs. Significant clinical improvement was found in patients treated with perazine, perphenazine and zuclopenthixol but not with clozapine or sulpiride. The presence and intensity of neuroleptic side-effects did not correlate with the quality of life. In patients who had more pronounced neuroleptic side-effects less favorable improvement was found in regard to those quality of life domains which included physical status as well as the evaluation of patients' mental health.