Second generation antipsychotic drugs have much greater efficacy for refractory schizophrenia and have much lower propensity to induce motor side-effects. These medications are seeing increased use for indications other than psychosis, and greater use in populations such as adolescents. However, one of the most critical issues in the field of psychiatry today is the overwhelming evidence that chronic use of the second generation antipsychotics can result in metabolic dysregulation, which includes weight gain, hyperlipidemia, and insulin resistance. A recent meta-analysis indicated that switching from other second generation antipsychotics to the antipsychotic drug aripiprazole consistently resulted in significant weight loss and may be an optimal treatment for patients who exhibit drug-induced weight gain. Therefore, we aim to compare metabolic dysregulation (namely abdominal weight gain and fat distribution)in participants taking aripiprazole, to participants who are taking higher-metabolic propensity antipsychotic drugs (such as risperidone or quetiapine), and to healthy participants.
The purpose of this study is to compare abdominal weight gain and fat distribution in people taking aripiprazole versus risperidone or quetiapine, to people not taking any of these antipsychotic medications.