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One-year, low-dose neuroleptic study of in-patients with chronic schizophrenia characterised by persistent negative symptoms

Amisulpride v. haloperidol

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Jeremy C. Speller ,
Thomas R. E. Barnes ,
David A. Curson ,
Christos Pantelis  and
J. L. Alberts
Jeremy C. Speller*
Affiliation:
Plymouth Nuffield Clinic, Plymouth PL4 8NQ
Thomas R. E. Barnes
Affiliation:
Academic Department of Psychiatry, Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School, London
David A. Curson
Affiliation:
Cognitive Neuropsychiatry Unit, Mental Health Research Institute and The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
Christos Pantelis
Affiliation:
Synthélabo Recherche, Bagneux, France
J. L. Alberts
Affiliation:
Synthélabo Recherche, Bagneux, France
*
Dr Jeremy C. Speller, Plymouth Nuffield Clinic, Lipson Road, Plymouth, Devon PL14 8NQ
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Abstract

Background

Amisulpride is a potent substituted benzamide antipsychotic drug claimed to improve the negative symptoms of schizophrenia, particularly at low dosage.

Method

Sixty long-term in-patients with schizophrenia and selected for predominant negative symptoms were randomised to receive either haloperidol or amisulpride. Over a year there was systematic dose reduction, as symptoms allowed.

Results

There were no significant differences between the treatment groups in the proportion receiving low-dose treatment, the control of positive symptoms, or ratings of social behaviour, side-effects or tardive dyskinesia. For negative symptoms, there were consistent but non-significant trends in favour of amisulpride. The amisulpride patients required significantly less anticholinergic medication.

Conclusions

In chronically-hospitalised in-patients with schizophrenia characterised by persistent negative symptoms, amisulpride was a well-tolerated maintenance antipsychotic medication. The drug had only a limited effect in reducing negative symptoms, which were relatively stable, enduring phenomena in this sample, despite dosage reduction.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 171 , Issue 6 , December 1997 , pp. 564 - 568
Copyright
Copyright © 1997 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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