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Gender differences in neuroleptic nonresponsive clozapine-treated schizophrenics
S Szymanski1, J Lieberman, S Pollack
1University of Pennsylvania, Department of Psychiatry, Philadelphia 19104, USA.
Biological Psychiatry
|February 15, 1996
Summary
In neuroleptic-refractory schizophrenia, women did not show the same antipsychotic response as men. These treatment-refractory women may represent a distinct, more severely ill subgroup.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Previous research suggests women with schizophrenia may respond better to antipsychotic medications than men.
- This study investigates gender differences in treatment response among neuroleptic-refractory chronic schizophrenic patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if women with neuroleptic-refractory schizophrenia exhibit a superior or equivalent antipsychotic response compared to men.
- To characterize potential gender-specific differences in this patient population.
Main Methods:
- Sixty-nine patients diagnosed with schizophrenia (47 males, 22 females) who were refractory to neuroleptic treatment were included.
- Patients received clozapine treatment under a standardized medication regimen.
Main Results:
- Unlike findings in the general schizophrenic population, an equivalent antipsychotic treatment response between females and males was not observed in this neuroleptic-refractory group.
- Gender differences in treatment response were noted, diverging from previous observations.
Conclusions:
- Treatment-refractory women with schizophrenia do not appear to have an equivalent antipsychotic response to men.
- These women may constitute a distinct subgroup with unique illness onset, course, and treatment response characteristics.