Psychiatrist.comEffects of Brexpiprazole on Functioning in Patients with Schizophrenia Who Have Hostility and Agitation Symptoms: Post Hoc Analysis of Short- and Long-Term Trials

🧠 Mental Health / Behavioral Sensitivity

Functioning remains a central treatment target in schizophrenia, particularly when hostility or agitation complicates care. This post hoc analysis pooled short-term randomized trial data and long-term extension data to examine brexpiprazole’s association with Personal and Social Performance scores.

Clinical Considerations

• Week 6 PSP improvement favored brexpiprazole in participants with hostility and those with agitation.
• Participants without agitation showed numerical but nonsignificant improvement compared with placebo at Week 6.
• Long-term extension data showed PSP scores improved and stabilized over 58 weeks among analyzed participants.
• Findings remain exploratory and hypothesis-generating because analyses were post hoc and unadjusted for multiplicity.

Practice Applications

• Recognize hostility and agitation as contributors to functional impairment in schizophrenia.
• Interpret PSP gains cautiously because the modified scale requires further validation.
• Consider functioning outcomes alongside symptom control when evaluating antipsychotic treatment data.
• Monitor future prespecified analyses addressing agitation, hostility, and functional recovery