Treatment with amisulpride and olanzapine improve neuropsychological function in schizophrenia.

Objectives: Although antipsychotic drugs control acute psychotic manifestations of schizophrenia, improving cognitive symptoms is also important for long-term prognosis.

Methods: Three hundred and seventy-seven adult patients with acute psychosis were randomised to either amisulpride (200-800 mg/d) or olanzapine (5-20 mg/d) for 6 months. Neuropsychological performance was assessed at inclusion and after 6 months in a subgroup of 26 subjects (11 treated with amisulpride and 15 with olanzapine) using the Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT), the Trail Making Test (TMT) and the Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT).