Effect of blonanserin on cognitive and social function in acute phase Japanese schizophrenia compared with risperidone

Figures & data

Figure 1 Patient disposition (number of patients who were assigned, treated, and who completed the treatment with the reasons for discontinuation).

Abbreviations: N, number; RIS, risperidone; BNS, blonanserin.

Table 1 Demographic and clinical characteristics of the patient sample at baseline

	RIS group	BNS group	P-value
Age (years)	31.1±8.8	29.6±8.3	0.58
Sex (M/F)	9/10	9/11	0.88
Education (years)	13.6±2.4	13.0±2.2	0.40
Handedness (right/left)	19/0	19/1	0.97
Smoking (yes/no)	7/12	8/12	0.84
Duration of illness (years)	7.7±5.7	6.1±4.6	0.33
PANSS
PANSS-P	29.5±4.1	29.0±6.1	0.76
PANSS-N	29.2±6.9	28.2±7.3	0.66
PANSS-G	47.2±8.6	47.2±7.9	0.99
PANSS-T	105.8±13.8	104.3±14.4	0.73
BACS-J
Verbal learning	−1.7±0.8	−1.5±0.8	0.44
Working memory	−1.7±0.7	−1.7±0.8	0.86
Motor function	−1.3±0.7	−0.9±0.9	0.20
Verbal fluency	−1.5±0.8	−1.3±0.5	0.32
Attention and processing speed	−1.9±0.5	−1.6±0.4	0.10
Executive function	−1.2±0.5	−1.1±0.6	0.58
LASMI
Daily living	1.8±0.7	2.0±0.7	0.62
Interpersonal relations	2.1±0.6	2.2±0.6	0.42
Work skills	2.1±0.6	2.3±0.6	0.41
Endurance and stability	3.2±0.9	3.1±1.1	0.78
Self-recognition	2.3±0.8	2.4±0.7	0.82

Abbreviations: RIS, risperidone; BNS, blonanserin; M, male; F, female; PANSS, Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale; P, positive scale score; N, negative scale score; G, general psychopathology subscale score; T, total score; BACS-J, Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia, Japanese-language version; LASMI, Life Assessment Scale for the Mentally Ill.

Table 2 PANSS score changes for the risperidone and blonanserin groups

	Risperidone		Blonanserin
	Mean	SD	Mean	SD
PANSS positive subscale score
Baseline	29.5	4.1	29.0	6.1
4 weeks	22.0	5.6*	21.8	6.4*
8 weeks	19.4	7.2*	19.5	8.1*
PANSS negative subscale score
Baseline	29.2	6.9	28.2	7.3
4 weeks	27.1	7.2	24.9	7.7
8 weeks	22.7	7.4*	21.4	7.4*
PANSS general psychopathology subscale score
Baseline	47.2	8.6	47.2	7.9
4 weeks	42.4	9.4	41.7	8.5
8 weeks	38.9	10.6*	38.6	11.2*
PANSS total score
Baseline	105.8	13.8	104.3	14.4
4 weeks	91.5	16.1*	88.3	15.8*
8 weeks	81.0	22.0*	79.5	23.2*

Note:

* P<0.01 versus baseline.

Abbreviations: PANSS, Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale; SD, standard deviation.

Table 3 “Time × group” interaction effect on analysis of variance with BACS-J and LASMI data when compared with the BNS group

	F	P-value
BACS-J
Verbal learning	0.10	0.76
Working memory	0.84	0.37
Motor function	1.47	0.23
Verbal fluency	0.03	0.87
Attention and processing speed	0.02	0.90
Executive function	0.40	0.53
LASMI
Daily living	4.51	0.04
Interpersonal relations	2.77	0.11
Work skills	0.21	0.61
Endurance and stability	0.03	0.87
self recognition	0.01	0.89

Abbreviations: BNS, blonanserin; BACS-J, Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia, Japanese-language version; LASMI, Life Assessment Scale for the Mentally Ill.

Table 4 Paired t-test results on BACS-J and LASMI data for the BNS group

(N=17)	Baseline	8 weeks later	t	P-value	Cohen’s d
BACS-J
Verbal learning	−1.53±0.81	−1.46±0.83	−0.42	0.68	0.09
Working memory	−1.66±0.76	−1.60±0.19	−0.58	0.57	0.09
Motor function	−0.89±0.94	−0.84±0.24	−0.31	0.76	0.05
Verbal fluency	−1.27±0.55	−0.94±0.67	−2.23	0.04	0.56
Attention and processing speed	−1.48±0.50	−1.40±0.59	−0.81	0.42	0.15
Executive function	−1.13±0.57	−0.77±0.69	−2.22	0.04	0.60
LASMI
Daily living	1.96±0.16	1.77±0.61	2.79	0.01	0.30
Interpersonal relations	2.23±0.61	2.19±0.61	0.21	0.83	0.08
Work skills	2.27±0.62	1.98±0.60	3.61	0.002	0.50
Endurance and stability	3.06±1.12	2.94±1.13	1.07	0.30	0.11
Self-recognition	2.37±0.72	2.25±0.69	0.81	0.43	0.17

Abbreviations: BACS-J, Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia, Japanese-language version; LASMI, Life Assessment Scale for the Mentally Ill; BNS, blonanserin; N, number.

Table 5 Paired t-test results on BACS-J and LASMI data for the RIS group

(N=16)	Baseline	8 weeks later	t	P-value	Cohen’s d
BACS-J
Verbal learning	−1.74±0.76	−1.60±0.89	−0.83	0.41	0.18
Working memory	−1.71±0.74	−1.49±0.81	−1.71	0.11	0.29
Motor function	−1.27±0.69	−1.63±0.89	1.18	0.25	0.46
Verbal fluency	−1.48±0.66	−1.18±0.46	−2.81	0.01	0.54
Attention and processing speed	−1.85±0.48	−1.75±0.72	−0.67	0.51	0.17
Executive function	−1.23±0.48	−1.03±0.68	−1.04	0.32	0.36
LASMI
Daily living	1.84±0.73	1.84±0.64	0.04	0.96	0.003
Interpersonal relations	2.06±0.61	1.94±0.61	2.03	0.06	0.20
Work skills	2.10±0.60	1.86±0.59	3.29	0.005	0.42
Endurance and stability	3.16±0.94	3.06±1.01	1.00	0.33	0.10
self recognition	2.31±0.81	2.16±0.75	1.15	0.27	0.19

Abbreviations: BACS-J, Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia, Japanese-language version; LASMI, Life Assessment Scale for the Mentally Ill; RIS, risperidone; N, number.

Table 6 The relationship between RIS and BNS doses and BACS-J scores at 8 weeks

	RIS (N=16)	BNS (N=17)
Verbal learning	0.09	0.23
Working memory	0.29	−0.35
Motor function	−0.52*	−0.51*
Verbal fluency	0.05	0.04
Attention and processing speed	−0.50*	0.06
Executive function	0.07	0.20

Note:

* P<0.05.

Abbreviations: RIS, risperidone; BNS, blonanserin; BACS-J, Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia, Japanese-language version; N, number.