CAFE Comparison of Atypicals in First Episode of Psychosis

Efficacy and Tolerability of Olanzapine, Quetiapine and Risperidone in the Treatment of First Episode Psychosis: A Randomized Double Blind 52-Week Comparison

The purpose of this study is to compare the effectiveness, tolerability, and efficacy of the currently available atypical antipsychotic drugs olanzapine (2.5-20 mg/day), quetiapine (100-800 mg/day) and risperidone (0.5-4 mg/day) in patients with schizophrenia, schizophreniform disorder, or schizoaffective disorder who are experiencing their first psychotic episode.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients must meet criteria for schizophreniform disorder, schizophrenia, or schizoaffective disorder with psychotic symptoms lasting 1-60 months
• Psychotic symptoms must have persisted at least one month, and not more thn 5 years (60 months)
• Patients must have no previous history of drug treatment (greater than a total of 16 weeks) with antipsychotics

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with history of psychotic disorder with recovery period of at least 3 months
• Female patients who are pregnant or nursing
• Patients with a known history of mental retardation