A randomized clinical trial of haloperidol decanoate and fluphenazine decanoate in the outpatient treatment of schizophrenia.
We carried out an 8-month double-blind clinical trial comparing haloperidol decanoate with fluphenazine decanoate in the maintenance treatment of 72 schizophrenic outpatients. A parallel-groups design was used with stratification by sex and injection interval (2, 3, or 4 weeks). The initial injection interval was based on pretrial maintenance treatment with fluphenazine esters. The dosage equivalency of haloperidol decanoate (1.5 cc or 75 mg) to fluphenazine decanoate (1 cc or 25 mg) used was 3:1. This remained approximately the same throughout a 2-month titration period with a flexible dose regimen, and a further 6-month period with a fixed dose regimen. No statistically significant differences in therapeutic effect were found between the drugs. Both drugs had a similar profile for drug-induced parkinsonism, but there was a trend for differences in masking tardive dyskinesia. Haloperidol and prolactin plasma concentrations were well correlated with dosage, with the exception of haloperidol concentrations in patients receiving injections at 2-week intervals.
Chouinard
G
G
Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Allan Memorial Institute, Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Annable
L
L
Campbell
W
W
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004409:Dyskinesia, Drug-Induced / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005476:Fluphenazine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; C033563:haloperidol decanoate; C011825:fluphenazine depot; D006220:Haloperidol; D005476:Fluphenazine