Faye Sim1, Isabel Sweetman1, Shitij Kapur1, Maxine X Patel2. 1. Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK. 2. Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK maxine.patel@kcl.ac.uk.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Benzodiazepine prescribing for schizophrenia occurs in clinical practice and antipsychotic trials. This review examined the clinical outcomes for benzodiazepines in schizophrenia. METHOD: A systematic search identified randomised controlled trials that evaluated benzodiazepines in comparison with placebo or antipsychotics, and also as adjuncts to antipsychotics. Relevant clinical outcome data was extracted. RESULTS: Twenty six studies were included with some reporting multiple comparisons. Seven short-term studies compared benzodiazepines with placebo: benzodiazepine superiority was found in two out of five studies for global improvements and two out of four studies for psychiatric/behavioural outcomes. Eleven studies compared benzodiazepines with first-generation antipsychotics (FGAs): four out of nine studies (including two long-term studies) reported greater global improvements for antipsychotics; four out of five studies showed no treatment differences for psychiatric/behavioural outcomes. Fourteen studies compared benzodiazepines (as adjunct to antipsychotics) vs antipsychotics alone (mostly FGAs); benzodiazepine superiority was found for global improvement in one out of eight studies and inferiority in two out of eight short-term studies whereas superiority was found for psychiatric/behavioural outcomes in three out of 12 short-term studies and inferiority in three out of 12 studies. CONCLUSION: Benzodiazepine superiority over placebo was found for global, psychiatric and behavioural outcomes, but inferiority to antipsychotics on longer-term global outcomes. Conflicting evidence exists regarding the addition of benzodiazepines to antipsychotics; thus the use of benzodiazepines in clinical practice and antipsychotic trials should be limited.
BACKGROUND: Benzodiazepine prescribing for schizophrenia occurs in clinical practice and antipsychotic trials. This review examined the clinical outcomes for benzodiazepines in schizophrenia. METHOD: A systematic search identified randomised controlled trials that evaluated benzodiazepines in comparison with placebo or antipsychotics, and also as adjuncts to antipsychotics. Relevant clinical outcome data was extracted. RESULTS: Twenty six studies were included with some reporting multiple comparisons. Seven short-term studies compared benzodiazepines with placebo: benzodiazepine superiority was found in two out of five studies for global improvements and two out of four studies for psychiatric/behavioural outcomes. Eleven studies compared benzodiazepines with first-generation antipsychotics (FGAs): four out of nine studies (including two long-term studies) reported greater global improvements for antipsychotics; four out of five studies showed no treatment differences for psychiatric/behavioural outcomes. Fourteen studies compared benzodiazepines (as adjunct to antipsychotics) vs antipsychotics alone (mostly FGAs); benzodiazepine superiority was found for global improvement in one out of eight studies and inferiority in two out of eight short-term studies whereas superiority was found for psychiatric/behavioural outcomes in three out of 12 short-term studies and inferiority in three out of 12 studies. CONCLUSION: Benzodiazepine superiority over placebo was found for global, psychiatric and behavioural outcomes, but inferiority to antipsychotics on longer-term global outcomes. Conflicting evidence exists regarding the addition of benzodiazepines to antipsychotics; thus the use of benzodiazepines in clinical practice and antipsychotic trials should be limited.
Authors: Juan Antonio García-Carmona; Jorge Simal-Aguado; María Pilar Campos-Navarro; Francisco Valdivia-Muñoz; Alejandro Galindo-Tovar Journal: Clin Drug Investig Date: 2020-05 Impact factor: 2.859
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