To evaluate the efficacy of paliperidone ER in patients with psychotic symptoms, assessing the improvement of positive and negative symptoms and functioning.

An observational, prospective and multicentre study was carried out, collecting in a systematic way all the information after the prescription of paliperidone ER in patients with psychotic symptoms with a 12 weeks follow up. Baseline visit (V0), 15 day visit (V1), one month visit (V2), two month visit (V3) and three month visit (V4).The primary variable of efficacy used was the assessment of severity in symptoms with the ICG-S scale. Other variables of efficacy used were PANSS and ICG-C scales in all visits and PSP scale at baseline visit and final visit. At baseline visit medical and psychiatric history were collected.

Paliperidone ER treatment was initiated in 26 patients with a mean age of 35.6 years old (SD 11.62). The main reason of treatment initiation with paliperidone ER was the lack of efficacy of other previous treatments in 12 patients (46.15%), followed by lack of tolerability in 5 patients (19.23%). The used dosage ranged between 3 and 18mg/day, mean dosage of 8.28 (SD 3.16). There was a statistically significant decrease of the PANSS scores throughout the study in positive, negative and global symptoms .There was also a statistically significant reduction of ICG and PSP scores throughout the study.

Paliperidone ER was effective in the treatment of the psychotic symptoms on both positive and negative symptoms and also in functioning.