QEEG alpha 1 changes after a single dose of high-potency neuroleptics as a predictor of short-term response to treatment in schizophrenic patients.
Baseline quantitative electroencephalographic (QEEG) characteristics and their changes after a single test dose of either haloperidol or clopenthixol were investigated in a group of 29 schizophrenics as possible predictors of short-term response to those drugs. On baseline QEEG assessment, responders (R) to subsequent treatment showed fewer slow and more fast activities than nonresponders (NR). A large overlap between R and NR with respect to these measures was observed, however, revealing their practical inadequacy to predict short-term response in individual patients. On the contrary, changes in alpha 1, observed 6 hr after the administration of a single test dose of either haloperidol or clopenthixol, discriminated to a very large extent between R and NR, correctly identifying 17 out of 18 R and 8 out of 10 NR. The QEEG test dose procedure might be used in the selection of the most appropriate antipsychotic drug for individual schizophrenic patients.
Galderisi
S
S
Department of Psychiatry, Medical School, Second University of Naples, Italy.
Maj
M
M
Mucci
A
A
Bucci
P
P
Kemali
D
D
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects; D003006:Clopenthixol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D003006:Clopenthixol; D006220:Haloperidol