Amisulpride doses and plasma levels in different age groups of patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder

Abstract Because of a unique pharmacodynamic profile, amisulpride seems appropriate for treatment of elderly patients with schizophrenia. In a large-scale naturalistic therapeutic drug monitoring study, daily amisulpride dose, trough and dose-corrected amisulpride plasma levels, co-medication, clinical effectiveness (CGI) and side effects (UKU) were compared between age groups in 395 patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (46% women; mean age 39.1 ± 14.2 years, range 18–83 years) under amisulpride therapy. Mean amisulpride doses (574 ± 269 mg/day), plasma levels (304 ± 274 ng/mL), dose-corrected amisulpride plasma levels (C/D ratios, 0.52 ± 0.41 ng/mL:mg), clinical response (at least moderate improvement, 71.6%), and side effects (any side effect, 32.2%; extrapyramidal symptoms, 14.9%) were comparable between age groups (P > 0.25). At higher age, significantly more benzodiazepines (P = 0.04), non-benzodiazepine hypnotics (P = 0.004) and non-psychotropic medications (P