Differences in the effect of second-generation antipsychotics on prolactinaemia: six weeks open-label trial in female in-patients.

Objectives: The main objective was to evaluate the effect of five second-generation antipsychotics (amisulpride, quetiapine, olanzapine, risperidone, and zotepine) on prolactinaemia during 6 week therapy in 433 female in-patients with mainly schizophrenic disorders. Secondary objectives included identification of dynamics of change in serum prolactin levels and correlations of changes of prolactinaemia with some demographic and clinical parameters.

Methods: The trial was a prospective, open-label, single-center one with a flexible dosing of SGAs.

Monitoring of QT interval in patients treated with psychotropic drugs.

Background: Psychotropic drugs have the potential for QT interval prolongation, the frequency is not known. The aim of this study was to monitor the occurrence of QT interval prolongation in a non-selected population of patients treated with psychotropic drugs with proarrhythmic potential.

Methods: In consecutive patients hospitalized at psychotic wards at the Department of Psychiatry treated with antipsychotic and antidepressant drugs with known or unexplored proarrhythmic potential a 12-lead ECG was recorded (50 mm/s, 20 mm/mV) on therapy; the QT interval was measured manually, corrected according to Bazett and Fridericia.