Naltrexone in chronic schizophrenia. Results of a clinical trial.
A 4-week clinical trial, including a 1-week placebo washout period, assessed the antipsychotic activity of naltrexone in 'newly admitted', actively hallucinating, chronic schizophrenics. Chronic naltrexone administration was found to benefit 2 patients and to be of no value in 3 patients. Responsive patients differed from non-responders by the presence of hallucinations despite adequate neuroleptic maintenance therapy and an appropriate response to pathological hallucinatory experience. On the basis of these findings, the possibility of a naltrexone-responsive schizophrenic subgroup was considered.
D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009270:Naloxone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D009271:Naltrexone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy*
D009270:Naloxone; D009271:Naltrexone