Observance et effets indésirables des neuroleptiques dans une population de patients âgés atteints de schizophrénie

Our objectives were to evaluate compliance and neurological adverse effects of neuroleptics along with associated factors in 40 elderly patients with schizophrenia. The mean age of patients was 71.28 years with a gender ratio of 1.66. The average duration of the disease was 45 years 4 months. Good compliance was correlated with age under 70 years (P < 0.0001), male gender (P = 0.005) and was better among those living in a family or institutional environment (P = 0.003). There was no significant relationship between treatment compliance and extrapyramidal effects, unlike the results of several other studies. Neurological disorders were significantly associated with the use of conventional neuroleptics (P = 0.006). Thus, monotherapy at the lowest effective dose and use of atypical antipsychotics should be recommended.