Comparison of haloperidol and chlorpromazine in the treatment of phencyclidine psychosis.
Phencyclidine (PCP) is a widely abused drug inducing a psychosis relieved by such dopamine antagonists as the neuroleptics. In the current study we compared two neuroleptics which act at different dopamine receptor sites. Haloperidol, a DA-2 receptor antagonist, and chlorpromazine, a DA-1 antagonist, were used to treat a total of 20 patients who experienced a phencyclidine psychosis. Ten patients each received two doses of one or the other neuroleptic on an alternating basis. Haloperidol 5 mg i.m. was shown to be superior to chlorpromazine 50 mg i.m. in relieving all signs of psychosis. The authors hypothesize that the DA-2 receptor is site-specific for PCP.
D000328:Adult; D002746:Chlorpromazine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D008297:Male; D010622:Phencyclidine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011605:Psychoses, Substance-Induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology
D010622:Phencyclidine; D006220:Haloperidol; D002746:Chlorpromazine