TITLE:
Case Report: Augmentation with Blonanserin for a Schizophrenia Patient with Insufficient Response to Clozapine
AUTHORS:
Manabu Takaki, Shigeru Takahashi, Yuji Yada, Kohei Kitagawa, Yoshiki Kishi, Norihito Yamada
KEYWORDS:
Treatment Refractory Schizophrenia, Clozapine, Blonanserin, Clozapine Concentration, Dopamine Supersensitivity Psychosis
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Psychiatry,
Vol.8 No.2,
April
23,
2018
ABSTRACT: Background: Clozapine is the most efficacious among antipsychotics for patients with schizophrenia. Nevertheless, clozapine is not effective in more than about 50% of treatment refractory schizophrenia patients, and several pharmacological strategies are used to augment it. Several reviews including meta-analyses have been published, but the efficacy of augmentation therapy for clozapine-resistant patients is not adequately supported. Though there is a weak connection between the oral dose and plasma concentration of clozapine, there is no report of augmentation therapy considering the plasma concentration of clozapine. Blonanserin is reported to be effective in treatment of both positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia and well tolerated. Methods: We obtained consent to evaluate clinical presentations and clozapine plasma concentrations at the Okayama Psychiatric Medical Center and had not identified the individual for ethical reasons. This is a case report. Results: This case fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of neuroleptic-induced dopamine supersensitivity psychosis. Monotherapy with blonanserin was not effective, but augmentation of blonanserin with clozapine was effective and well tolerated by a clozapine-resistant schizophrenia patient. Conclusion: Because clozapine may ameliorate dopamine supersensitivity psychosis, the addition of blonanserin to clozapine may be effective even if monotherapy with blonanserin was not.