Subject(s)
Mental Health Services/history , Psychiatry/history , Community Mental Health Services/history , Community Mental Health Services/organization & administration , France , History, 15th Century , History, 16th Century , History, 17th Century , History, 18th Century , History, 19th Century , History, 20th Century , History, Medieval , Humans , Mental Health Services/organization & administrationABSTRACT
Ninety-three patients with an exacerbation of chronic schizophrenia were included in a 4 week trial comparing placebo with 1, 3 and 10 mg des-enkephalin-gamma-endorphin (DE gamma E; beta-lipotrophin 66-77; Org 5878) per day (i.m.). Maintenance antipsychotic and other medications were continued unchanged. Treatment effects were assessed by means of the Comprehensive Psychopathological Rating Scale--subscale schizophrenia (CPRS-S), Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and Global Assessment Scale (GAS) rating scales at weekly intervals. Safety data, i.e. laboratory investigations, vital signs and ECG recordings, were assessed before and during the trial. Side-effects were evaluated by means of a Record of Symptoms Emerging. Sixty-eight patients completed the trial, the reason for drop-out mainly being inadequate treatment effects and refusal of medication administration. One patient violated the protocol. After 4 weeks of treatment the mean CPRS-S score of the group receiving 10 mg DE gamma E daily had decreased statistically significantly more than the corresponding score of the placebo group (p less than 0.01). The same trend was apparent with BPRS (p = 0.08) and GAS (p greater than 0.1) scores. Therefore, the study should be considered inconclusive. No clinically relevant side-effects attributable to DE gamma E were observed.
Subject(s)
Schizophrenia/drug therapy , beta-Endorphin/therapeutic use , Adult , Double-Blind Method , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Psychiatric Status Rating Scales , Schizophrenic PsychologyABSTRACT
Mianserin (60 mg daily) was compared with chlorimipramine (150 mg daily) in the treatment of 145 depressed in- and outpatients in four centres. The trial was double-blind and fully randomized. Both drugs were effective antidepressants. No significant differences in efficacy could be demonstrated by means of the Hamilton rating scale for depression, the Beck self-rating scale or the clinical global impression, for both in- and outpatients. Hypotension, dry mouth and tremor increased significantly more in inpatients with chlorimipramine than with mianserin. At the end of treatment weight gain was increased significantly more in outpatients after treatment with mianserin. No differences could be demonstrated between the drugs for other side-effects.
