A randomized controlled trial on aripiprazole in the treatment of hyperprolactinemia induced by typical or atypical antipsychotics

ObjectiveTo investigate the efficacy and safety of aripiprazole in the treatment of hyperprolactinemia induced by typical or atypical antipsychotics.

MethodsAccording to the prospective open-label, randomized and controlled study, 120 schizophrenic patients with hyperprolactinaemia caused by typical (chlorpromazine) or atypical antipsychotics (risperidone) were randomly divided into the chlorpromazine combined with aripiprazole groups (5 mg or 10 mg by oral), and risperidone combined with aripiprazole groups (5 mg or 10 mg by oral) (30 cases in each group), and the total treatment period was 12 weeks.The levels of prolactin before treatment and after 4, 8 and 12 weeks of treatment were detected.The efficacy and adverse reactions of antipsychotics were evaluated using positive and negative symptom scale (PANSS) and side effect scale (TESS).

ResultsThe differences of the serum levels of prolactin and PANSS scores among four groups before intervention were not statistically significant (P>0.05), and there was no statistical significance in the serum levels of prolactin and PANSS scores at all time-points (P>0.05).The differences of the incidence rates of adverse reaction among four groups were not statistically significant (P>0.05).

ConclusionsLow-dose aripiprazole can reverse the hyperprolactin induced by typical and atypical antipsychotics, improve the psychotic symptoms, and does not increase adverse event.