OBJECTIVE: To probe into the efficacy of perphenazine combined with agomelatine in the treatment of schizophrenia in elderly patients. METHODS: Totally 174 elderly patients with schizophrenia received treatment in this hospital from Nov. 2018 to Nov. 2019 were selected and divided into single treatment group and combined treatment group via random number table

with 87 cases in each group. The single treatment group was given agomelatine

while the combined treatment group was given perphenazine based on the single treatment group. The Wechsler Memory Scale was adopted to test the cognitive function of patients in two groups

the scores of Positive and Negative Symptom Scales

clinical efficacy

interleukin-17（IL-17）

tumor necrosis factor α（TNF-α） and interleukin-6（IL-6） levels were compared between two groups. RESULTS: Compared with the single treatment group

the scores of delayed logic

immediate logic

delayed visual memory and immediate visual memory of patients in the combined treatment group after treatment were significantly higher

with statistically significant differences（P<0.05）. Compared with the single treatment group

the scorers of Positive and Negative Symptom Scales and general pathology of patients in the combined treatment group after treatment were significantly lower

with statistically significant differences（P<0.05）. Compared with the single treatment group

the IL-17

IL-6 and TNF-α levels of patients in the combined treatment group after treatment were significantly lower

with statistically significant differences（P<0.05）. The total effective rate of combined treatment group was 90.80%（79/87）

which was significantly higher than that of the single treatment group（79.31%

69/87）

with statistically significant difference（P<0.05）. CONCLUSIONS: The efficacy of perphenazine combined with agomelatine in the treatment of schizophrenia in elderly patients is better than of agomelatine alone.