Comparing the effectiveness of aripiprazol vs risperidone adjunctive to lithium in patients with acute mania with psychotic features. a double-blind randomized clinical trial

Introduction: Research suggests that both aripiprazole and risperidone are effective in treating acute mania in combination with mood stabilizers. The present study was conducted to determine the relative merits of these two medications.
Materials and Methods: The present double-blind randomized clinical trial was performed on 60 patients who suffer from acute mania with psychotic features. Block randomization was used to assign the patients to two groups, one receiving aripiprazole plus lithium and the other risperidone plus lithium. Clinical evaluations were conducted and the side effects were assessed based on the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), the Simpson Angus Scale (SAS), the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) and Barnes Akathisia Rating Scale (BARS).
Findings: Based on the YMRS and BPRS scores, the timeline of the response to treatment was significant in both groups (P<0.0001), suggesting no significant differences between the two groups (P=0.47 and 0.66). The mean AIMS score associated with both medicines showed a significant reduction over the course of time (P<0.0001), although they had no significant differences in terms of complications (P=0.13).
Conclusion: No significant differences were observed between aripiprazole and risperidone in terms of their effect on improving the symptoms of acute manic phase and their side effects