Guidelines for Discontinuation of Antipsychotics in Patients Who Recover From First-Episode Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders: Derived From the Aggregated Opinions of Asian Network of Early Psychosis Experts and Literature Review
Journal
The international Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
Journal Volume
25
Journal Issue
9
Start Page
737
End Page
758
ISSN
1461-1457
Date Issued
2022-09-01
Author(s)
Hui, Christy L.M.
Chen, Eric Y.H.
Swapna, Verma
Tagata, Hiromi
Mizuno, Masafumi
Takeuchi, Hiroyoshi
Kim, Sung-Wan
Chung, Young-Chul
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Antipsychotic discontinuation has been a long-standing clinical and medicolegal issue. The Asian Network of Early Psychosis developed guidelines for antipsychotic discontinuation in patients who recover from first-episode non-affective psychosis. We reviewed the existing studies and guidelines on antipsychotic discontinuation to develop guidelines for antipsychotic discontinuation in such patients. METHODS: We reviewed the relevant studies, reviews, guidelines, and ongoing trials related to antipsychotic discontinuation in patients with first-episode psychosis or schizophrenia. The quality of randomized controlled trials was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach. RESULTS: Most studies had low to very low quality, and 2 had moderate quality. All studies, except 1, advised against antipsychotic discontinuation because of higher relapse rates in the antipsychotic discontinuation group (19%-82% at 1-year follow-up) than the treatment maintenance group compared with the maintenance group. Based on expert opinion and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation evidence of trials, guidelines have been recommended for future discontinuation studies on patients with first-episode schizophrenia spectrum disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Currently, there are no recommendations for antipsychotic discontinuation in patients with first-episode schizophrenia spectrum disorders. However, there is a pressing need to conduct more rigorous research in remitted patients using more stringent criteria of full recovery, which can form the basis of guidelines on when and how antipsychotics should be tapered and discontinued. Studies that evaluate the patient characteristics and biomarkers that predict successful antipsychotic discontinuation are also needed.
Subjects
Antipsychotics
GRADE
discontinuation
first episode
non-affective psychosis
SDGs
Type
review article