Depressive symptoms in chronic schizophrenic patients after withdrawal of long-acting neuroleptics.
A double-blind randomized investigation compared withdrawal (placebo) with continued use of long-acting neuroleptics (fluphenazine decanoate or flupenthixol decanoate) in 41 chronic schizophrenic outpatients. After 6 weeks there was a tendency toward higher depressive scores in the placebo group, a difference which became statistically significant (p less than .05) at week 24. These results do not support earlier observations that neuroleptic drugs cause depression. Further analyses of the data indicated that depressive symptomatology could be an early sign of relapse.
D000328:Adult; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005475:Flupenthixol / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D005476:Fluphenazine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011897:Random Allocation; D012008:Recurrence; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000209:etiology*; D013892:Thioxanthenes / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014149:Tranquilizing Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*
D013892:Thioxanthenes; D014149:Tranquilizing Agents; C007761:flupenthixol decanoate; D005475:Flupenthixol; C011825:fluphenazine depot; D005476:Fluphenazine