1991]; and current use of a traditional dopamine antagonist antipsychotic. Exclusion criteria were hospitalization within 2 months prior to study entry; endocrine, cardiovascular, or brain disease; history of neuroleptic malignant syndrome; and pregnancy or lactation (women only). The procedures followed in this study were in accordance with the ethical standards

Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical of the local institutional committee on human experimentation. After complete description of the study to the patients, signed informed consent was obtained. Stop criteria were formulated if patients requested to stop for any given reason, or the investigator or treating physician was concerned about the safety of the patient. Study design At study entry (T 0), while continuing use of traditional Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical dopamine antagonist medication as prescribed by their psychiatrist, patients received a digital wristwatch and a set of ESM self-assessment forms collated in a booklet for each day. Ten times a day on 6 consecutive days, the watch Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical emitted a signal (beep) at unpredictable moments between 7:30a.m. and 10:30p.m. After each ‘beep’, patients were asked to stop their buy LY2109761 activity and fill out the ESM self-assessment forms previously handed out to them, collecting reports

of psychopathology and emotional experience. Patients were asked to complete their reports immediately after Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical the beep, thus minimizing memory distortions, and to record the time at which they completed the form. After completion of the 6-day assessment, aripiprazole treatment was initialized in dosages of 15–30mg a day, titrated against clinical response. Simultaneously, dosage of previously prescribed antipsychotic

medication was gradually reduced over a 3-week period, to be discontinued altogether at the start of the fourth week of aripiprazole administration. After 5 weeks of aripiprazole Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical treatment, patients again completed a 6-day ESM assessment (T 1), while continuing aripiprazole therapy. No additional antipsychotic medication was administered during this final treatment phase. In order to estimate Digestive enzyme whether antipsychotic dosage increased or decreased after the treatment switch to aripiprazole, all antipsychotic medication dosages were additionally recalculated into chlorpromazine equivalent terms [Woods, 2003]. Throughout the study, any change in prescribed concomitant medication was discussed with the principal investigator and registered. Emotional experience Emotional experience was assessed with four positive affect items and seven negative affect items rated on seven-point Likert scales [rating from not at all (=1) to very (=7)], derived from the ESM booklets as described above.