Chinese Medical Journal (Jan 2018)

Effects of Risperidone and Paliperidone on Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor and N400 in First-Episode Schizophrenia

  • Rong-Qin Wu,
  • Chong-Guang Lin,
  • Wei Zhang,
  • Xiao-Dong Lin,
  • Xing-Shi Chen,
  • Ce Chen,
  • Li-Jun Zhang,
  • Zi-Ye Huang,
  • Guang-Dong Chen,
  • Da-Li Xu,
  • Zhi-Guang Lin,
  • Ming-Dao Zhang

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4103/0366-6999.241802
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 131, no. 19
pp. 2297 – 2301

Abstract

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Background: Risperidone and paliperidone have been the mainstay treatment for schizophrenia and their potential role in neuroprotection could be associated with brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and N400 (an event-related brain potential component). So far, different effects on both BDNF and N400 were reported in relation to various antipsychotic treatments. However, few studies have been conducted on the mechanism of risperidone and paliperidone on BDNF and N400. This study aimed to compare the effects of risperidone and paliperidone on BDNF and the N400 component of the event-related brain potential in patients with first-episode schizophrenia. Methods: Ninety-eight patients with first-episode schizophrenia were randomly divided into the risperidone and paliperidone groups and treated with risperidone and paliperidone, respectively, for 12 weeks. Serum BDNF level, the latency, and amplitude of the N400 event-related potential before and after the treatment and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) scores were compared between the two groups. Results: A total of 94 patients were included in the final analysis (47 patients in each group). After the treatment, the serum BDNF levels in both groups increased (all P 0.05). After the treatment, N400 amplitudes were increased (from 4.73 ± 2.86 μv and 4.51 ± 4.63 μv to 5.35 ± 4.18 μv and 5.52 ± 3.08 μv, respectively) under congruent condition in both risperidone and paliperidone groups (all P 0.05). A negative correlation between the reduction rate of the PANSS score and the increase in serum BDNF level after the treatment was found in the paliperidone group but not in the risperidone group. Conclusions: Both risperidone and paliperidone could increase the serum BDNF levels in patients with first-episode schizophrenia and improve their cognitive function (N400 latency and amplitude), but their antipsychotic mechanisms might differ.

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