TY - JOUR
T1 - Optimal Dose of Neuroleptic in Acute Schizophrenia
T2 - A Controlled Study of the Neuroleptic Threshold and Higher Haloperidol Dose
AU - McEvoy, Joseph P.
AU - Hogarty, Gerard E.
AU - Steingard, Sandra
PY - 1991/8
Y1 - 1991/8
N2 - • After individual determination of neuroleptic threshold (NT) doses of haloperidol, 106 patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (Research Diagnostic Criteria) were treated openly at such doses (mean, 3.7± 2.3 mg/d) for 2 weeks. Ten responding patients were discharged and unavailable for follow-up or refused subsequent randomization, and one nonresponding patient refused randomization. The remaining 95 responding or nonresponding patients were then randomly assigned, double-blind, to a dosage of haloperidol two to 10 times higher (mean, 11.6 ±4.7 mg/d) or to a continuing NT dosage (mean, 3.4±2.3 mg/d) for another 2 weeks. Of the 58 patients exposed only to NT dosages of haloperidol, 72% clinically recovered within the 5-week trial. Higher dosages given to 47 patients did not lead to greater improvement in measures of psychosis, but did produce slightly greater declines in measures of hostility. Higher dosages did regularly lead to significant increases in distressing extrapyramidal side effects.
AB - • After individual determination of neuroleptic threshold (NT) doses of haloperidol, 106 patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (Research Diagnostic Criteria) were treated openly at such doses (mean, 3.7± 2.3 mg/d) for 2 weeks. Ten responding patients were discharged and unavailable for follow-up or refused subsequent randomization, and one nonresponding patient refused randomization. The remaining 95 responding or nonresponding patients were then randomly assigned, double-blind, to a dosage of haloperidol two to 10 times higher (mean, 11.6 ±4.7 mg/d) or to a continuing NT dosage (mean, 3.4±2.3 mg/d) for another 2 weeks. Of the 58 patients exposed only to NT dosages of haloperidol, 72% clinically recovered within the 5-week trial. Higher dosages given to 47 patients did not lead to greater improvement in measures of psychosis, but did produce slightly greater declines in measures of hostility. Higher dosages did regularly lead to significant increases in distressing extrapyramidal side effects.
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U2 - 10.1001/archpsyc.1991.01810320063009
DO - 10.1001/archpsyc.1991.01810320063009
M3 - Article
C2 - 1883257
AN - SCOPUS:0026410773
SN - 0003-990X
VL - 48
SP - 739
EP - 745
JO - Archives of General Psychiatry
JF - Archives of General Psychiatry
IS - 8
ER -