Risperidone long-acting injection: safety and efficacy in elderly patients with schizophrenia.

Antipsychotic medication is considered the cornerstone of the treatment in elderly patients with schizophrenia. Long acting risperidone injection was the first antipsychotic available for use in this group of patients. Current scientific literature revealed that long-acting risperidone is effective in treating the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia and some improvements in cognition and functioning have also been found. In terms of efficacy, there is a paucity of randomized trials but the studies suggest that long-acting risperidone is efficient in the long-term management of schizophrenia, with a safety profile similar to that of oral risperidone. It seems that patient acceptance of treatment is greater when patients are switched from a traditional oral medication to depot risperidone and some improvements in cognition and functioning might be related. Further long-term comparisons with other oral and long-acting antipsychotic medications are needed. These studies should include cost-effectiveness data. Research into metabolic side effects is also needed.