Comparative study of sexual dysfunction and serum prolactin level associated with olanzapine, risperidone, and clozapine in patients with remitted schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: Sexual dysfunctions have been a major side effect of the second generation anti-psychotic drugs which often affects treatment compliance in patients with schizophrenia. There is no/few systematic review or research addressing sexual dysfunction and their effect on serum prolactin level among different atypical antipsychotics in India.

AIMS: To determine and compare the frequency of sexual dysfunction associated with olanzapine, risperidone, and clozapine and their effect on serum prolactin level in remitted patients with schizophrenia.

SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Cross-sectional hospital-based study. Recruitment by purposive sampling. Estimation of serum prolactin was done using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The total sample size was 103, consisting of 31, 23, and 19 patients in olanzapine, risperidone, and clozapine groups, respectively and 30 controls. A Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, Udvalg for Kliniske Undersogelser (UKU) Side Effect Rating Scale and Sexual Functioning Questionnaire were administered. Analysis of variance was used to compare clinical variables. Chi-square test was used to identify the frequency of sexual dysfunction. Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare UKU side effect, sexual dysfunction, and blood parameters across the study groups.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Eighty-six percentage reported sexual dysfunction in one or more domains of sexual functioning in risperidone group as compared to 48.3% in olanzapine and 31% in clozapine groups, respectively. Prolactin level elevation was statistically significant in risperidone group followed by clozapine and olanzapine groups, respectively.