Intramuscular paliperidone palmitate (PP) is a long-acting, atypical antipsychotic for ntramuscular (IM) administration in the treatment of patients with schizophrenia.

To study efficacy and quality of life in patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders treated with long-acting paliperidone palmitate.

A non-randomized, prospective naturalistic study was performed in out-patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder unsuccessfully treated with oral antipsychotics. Efficacy of PP over time was evaluated by using BPRS 24-items (Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale) Quality of life was evaluated by the QL-Index (Quality of life Index) at T0 and at most recent visit (T1).

Data were available for 16 outpatients consecutively prescribed PP and naturalistically treated attending at the Psychiatric Clinic, University of Sassari. Patients were predominantly male (n = 9; 56.2%), with schizophenia (n = 10; 62.5%). Three patients dropped out (18.8%). Mean time on PP treatment was 870.0 days (sd 217.02) at a mean PP maintenance dose of 97.82 ± 37.17 mg eq. BPRS mean total score at T0 was 55 (sd 14.5) and at T1 was 44.8 (sd 11.8). Ql-Index mean total score was 5 (sd 1.6) at T0 and 7.2 (sd 2.4) at T1. Paired sample test showed a statistically significant difference in deacreasing symptoms at BPRS over time (P = 0.009) and in improving Quality of life at QL-Index (P = 0.017). The analyses showed a significant improving at the following BPRS sub-items: Depression (P = 0.021), Hostility (P = 0.022), Suspiciousness (P = 0.005), Hallucinations (P = 0.050), Unusual thought content (P = 0.029), Self-neglet (P = 0.028), Conceptual disorganization (P = 0.044), Emotional withdrawal (P = 0.028) and Distractibility (P = 0.014).

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.