Abstract
BACKGROUND: First-generation antipsychotics demonstrate certain therapeutic benefits in schizophrenia; however, they often fail to significantly address negative symptoms. Thus, continued exploration is essential to refine these treatments. AIM: To examine lurasidone plus sulpiride influence on treatment efficacy, psychiatric symptoms, and quality of life in patients with schizophrenia. METHODS: A total of 110 patients with schizophrenia, admitted between October 2021 and October 2024, were recruited for this study. The control group (n = 50) received sulpiride alone. Conversely, the observation group (n = 60) was treated with a combination of lurasidone and sulpiride. A series of assessments were conducted to compare the two groups. These included evaluating treatment efficacy; recording the incidence of adverse events such as fatigue, xerostomia, insomnia, anorexia, and headache; assessing psychiatric symptoms using the positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS); evaluating cognitive and social functions using the repeatable battery for the assessment of neuropsychological status (RBANS), and the personal and social performance scale (PSP); measuring quality of life using the schizophrenia quality of life scale (SQLS); and analyzing serum markers including interleukin 6 (IL-6), IL-17, and prolactin (PRL). RESULTS: Overall treatment efficacy was significantly higher in the observation group than in the control group. The total incidence of adverse events was comparable between the two groups. After treatment, the scores for positive symptoms, negative symptoms, and general psychopathological symptoms on the PANSS in the observation group were significantly reduced compared to pretreatment levels, and were also lower than those in the control group. Additionally, RBANS and PSP scores in the observation group significantly increased post-treatment and were notably higher than in the control group. Regarding the quality of life, SQLS scores in the psychosocial, symptoms, and side effects and motivation and energy dimensions in the observation group were significantly lower after treatment than both baseline levels and those in the control group. Furthermore, post-treatment levels of IL-6 and IL-17 in the observation group were significantly reduced and lower than those in the control group, whereas the PRL level was significantly elevated. CONCLUSION: The combination of lurasidone and sulpiride can effectively enhance treatment efficacy, alleviate psychiatric symptoms, and improve quality of life in patients with schizophrenia, supporting its broader clinical use.