The use of antidepressants for negative symptoms in a subset of schizophrenic patients.
The authors used a randomized, placebo-controlled design to assess the therapeutic efficacy of adjunctive imipramine, added to fluphenazine decanoate and benztropine, among well-stabilized, negative-symptom schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder patients who additionally met operationalized criteria for postpsychotic depression. The outcome of the imipramine-treated group was superior in both global ratings and a specific negative-symptom scale. Exacerbation of psychotic symptomatology was not found to be problematic. The implications of this study are discussed in terms of a potential strategy for pharmacotherapy among certain negative-symptom patients and in terms of its relevance to a possible pathophysiological basis for the negative-symptom state.
Siris
S G
SG
Hillside Hospital Division, Long Island Jewish Medical Center, Glen Oaks, NY 11004.
Bermanzohn
P C
PC
Gonzalez
A
A
Mason
S E
SE
White
C V
CV
Shuwall
M A
MA
D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology
D000928:Antidepressive Agents