Objective  To observe the efficacy of ziprasidone combined with chlorpromazine in the treatment of elderly patients with schizophrenia.

  Methods  Totally 100 elderly patients with schizophrenia were randomly divided into control group and combined group, with 50 cases in each group. The control group was treated with chlorpromazine, and the combined group was treated with ziprasidone and chlorpromazine. Mental symptoms, cognitive function, neurotrophic factors, electrocardiogram, blood potassium, blood magnesium and efficiency as well as adverse reactions were compared between the two groups.

  Results  After treatment, the score of Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE), the score of Stroop test, continuous operation test and digit symbol coding test, levels of nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and total effective rate in the combined group were significantly higher than those in the control group, while the score of Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS), score of connection test A and levels of neuron specific enolase (NSE), hand-type calcium binding protein (S100b) and myelin basic protein (MBP) were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05).

  Conclusion  Ziprasidone combined with chlorpromazine can improve the clinical symptoms of elderly patients with schizophrenia, the abnormal expressions of NGF, BDNF and other neurotrophic factors, repair damaged neurons, and do not affect the body electrolyte balance.