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The effects of clozapine and risperidone on spatial working memory in schizophrenia
Susan R McGurk1, Cameron Carter, Robert Goldman
1Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, One Gustave L. Levy Pl., New York, NY 10029, USA. susan.r.mcgurk@dartmouth.edu
Objective:
The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the effects of clozapine and risperidone on spatial working memory in patients with schizophrenia.
Method:
Spatial working memory performance was evaluated at baseline and after 17 and 29 weeks in 97 patients with schizophrenia participating in a multisite trial.
Results:
Compared with baseline performance while receiving conventional antipsychotic medication, risperidone improved, and clozapine worsened, spatial working memory performance.
Conclusions:
The differential effects of these medications on spatial working memory may be due to the anticholinergic effects of clozapine and prefrontal dopamine-enhancing effects of risperidone.
