The Effectiveness and Safety of Antipsychotic and Antidepressant Medications in Individuals with 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of antipsychotic and antidepressant medications in individuals with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2 DS) and psychiatric comorbidity. We used a record review, structured clinical interviews, and the Clinical Global Impressions (CGI) scale to retrospectively assess the effectiveness and safety of antipsychotic medications for schizophrenia spectrum disorders and of antidepressant medications for depressive and anxiety disorders in 40 individuals with 22q11.2DS. We observed significant improvement in CGI-Severity scores in individuals with 22q11.2DS treated with antipsychotic or antidepressant medications, and a ∼50% response rate based on the CGI-Improvement score. Adverse events were similar in types and rates to those reported in non-22q11.2 individuals treated with antipsychotics or antidepressants. Our data show that treatment with antipsychotics and antidepressants may be effective while being relatively safe in individuals with 22q11.2DS. Antipsychotic and antidepressant medications should be considered in any individual with 22q11.2DS who has a psychiatric morbidity, such as psychosis or mood or anxiety disorders. Although the psychotropic medications were generally well tolerated in our sample, more rigorous metabolic and cardiovascular measures are required in future studies to conclusively verify the safety of these medications.