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Perospirone

What is perospirone?

Second generation antipsychotics (sometimes referred to as ‘atypical’ antipsychotics) such as perospirone are a newer class of antipsychotic medication than first generation ‘typical’ antipsychotics. Second generation antipsychotics are effective for the positive symptoms of schizophrenia. It is sometimes claimed that they are more effective than first generation antipsychotics in treating the negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Negative symptoms include a lack of ordinary mental activities such as emotional expression, social engagement, thinking and motivation, whereas positive symptoms include the experiences of perceptual abnormalities (hallucinations) and fixed, false, irrational beliefs (delusions).

Second generation antipsychotics may also cause less extra-pyramidal side effects. These include dyskinesias such as repetitive, involuntary, and purposeless body or facial movements, Parkinsonism (cogwheel muscle rigidity, pill-rolling tremor and reduced or slowed movements), akathisia (motor restlessness, especially in the legs, and resembling agitation) and dystonias such as muscle contractions causing unusual twisting of parts of the body, most often in the neck. These effects are caused by the dopamine receptor antagonist action of these drugs.

What is the evidence for perospirone?

Moderate quality evidence suggests perospirone may be less effective for symptoms than other second generation antipsychotics, but more effective than first generation antipsychotic haloperidol for negative symptoms. Moderate to high quality evidence suggests perospirone may cause fewer extrapyramidal symptoms than aripiprazole, haloperidol, and risperidone combined.

October 2020

Last updated at: 4:45 am, 14th October 2020
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