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To answer the question whether randomized clinical trials (RCTs) indicate that individual patients respond preferentially to one antipsychotic drug more than another, it is necessary to determine whether apparent individual differences in response are due to true individual variability or the way in which the RCT is conducted.
These investigators first simulated an RCT involving 30 schizophrenia patients and using a clinically meaningful effect size on the standard rating scale. Adding crossover conditions eliminated apparent differences in individual patient response while preserving the net benefit of medication over placebo.
The investigators then conducted a meta-analysis of 52 RCTs involving 75 comparisons of various antipsychotics (othe…