Ziprasidone-induced cognitive enhancement in schizophrenia: Specificity or pseudospecificity?

From the December 1, 2006 issue of Psychiatric News:

Ziprasidone [Geodon] may be associated with a significant improvement in cognition in patients with schizophrenia. A 12-week, open-label trial with 10 patients who met nonresponse criteria on their current antipsychotic medication were switched to ziprasidone. Comprehensive cognitive testing was done at baseline and 12 weeks.

Significant improvement was seen on three measures of episodic memory along with a trend toward improvement on tests involving processing speed and executive function.

The data, researchers said, "suggest that ziprasidone has cognitive benefits unrelated to an influence on other disease parameters."

The study was funded by Pfizer Inc.

Reference: Schizophrenia Research 2006: 87;181-184