Implications of the efficacy of thiothixene and a chlorpromazine-imipramine combination for depression in schizophrenia.
The ineffectiveness of antidepressants, and the effectiveness of neuroleptics alone, in the treatment of depressed schizophrenic patients is evidence that a pharmacologically definable depression cannot be demonstrated in schizophrenia. The author reports findings from a double-blind 1-month study of 52 anergic and depressed schizophrenic patients given thiothixene-placebo or chlorpromazine-imipramine. These findings support DSM-III, which does not diagnose intercurrent, secondary depression in the presence of schizophrenia. Consistent with most of the clinical literature, this study also supports the use of a single neuroleptic rather than neuroleptic-antidepressant combinations to treat depressive symptoms secondary to schizophrenia.
D000328:Adult; D002746:Chlorpromazine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007099:Imipramine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D013888:Thiothixene / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D013888:Thiothixene; D007099:Imipramine; D002746:Chlorpromazine