Dosage of haloperidol for mania.
BACKGROUND
We compared three doses of a neuroleptic as a treatment for mania.


METHODS
Forty-seven newly admitted in-patients with mania were randomised to receive 10, 30, or 80 mg a day of oral haloperidol, under double-blind conditions for up to six weeks. All subjects received prophylactic benztropine.


RESULTS
Repeated-measures analysis of variance and survival analysis showed no difference in outcome by the different doses. Excluding drop-outs (38%), most of whom left the study during the first two weeks, 72% of the subjects responded. Side-effects were minimal; there were no differences among the three doses. Non-responders received more adjunctive lorazepam than responders.


CONCLUSIONS
The limited data suggest that more than 10 mg a day of haloperidol offers no advantage in mania.
Rifkin
A
A
Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York.
Doddi
S
S
Karajgi
B
B
Borenstein
M
M
Munne
R
R
D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004409:Dyskinesia, Drug-Induced / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009460:Neurologic Examination / Q000187:drug effects; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D006220:Haloperidol