Platelet cytochrome c-oxidase activity in patients with acute schizophrenia in the course of their treatment with risperidone

Abstract

Objectives: Testing a hypothesis, that platelet cytochrome c-oxidase (COX) activities in patients with paranoid schizophrenia, acute episode, may be linked to dynamics of their clinical patterns and quality of cognitive functioning under antipsychotic treatment. Methods: Psychopatho-logical (PANSS, NSA-16) and cognitive assess-ments; platelet COX enzymatic activity determination, post-hoc nonparametric statistical analysis. Results: Psychopathological and cognitive assessments were done and blood was sampled in patients before (at baseline) and after treatment with risperidone. Following regu- larities were found after the treatment of patients: Significant elevation of COX, wherein the higher was COX at baseline, the more prominent was decrease in PANSSneg and NSA rates; significant negative correlation between COX and executive time in cognitive tests. When the patient group was divided by median of COX at baseline into two subgroups (greater or equal median, and <median), significantly larger amount of patients with PANSSpos decrease by >20% was assigned to the first subgroup; significantly larger amount of patients with PANSSneg by <20% was assigned to the second group. Conclusions: Therapy with risperidone seems to be more effective for patients with higher COX activity at baseline, but this fact requires further study.