ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: We compared the efficacy of two neuroleptics with different receptor profiles (zuclopenthixol and haloperidol) in learning disabled patients with behavioural disturbance. METHOD: A double-blind crossover study (2 x 8 weeks; n = 34), interrupted by a two-week single-blind washout period, was employed. Assessments included the Schedule for Handicaps, Behaviour, and Skills (SHBS) and Clinical Global Impression (CGI). RESULTS: The SHBS score was significantly reduced for the zuclopenthixol cohort only. End-point analysis between the two drugs also showed an enhanced effect for zuclopenthixol over haloperidol. CGI scores did not reveal significant differences between the two drugs. CONCLUSION: Zuclopenthixol may be superior to haloperidol for the treatment of behavioural disturbances in mentally retarded subjects.
Subject(s)
Clopenthixol/therapeutic use , Haloperidol/therapeutic use , Intellectual Disability/drug therapy , Learning Disabilities/drug therapy , Social Behavior Disorders/drug therapy , Adult , Behavior Therapy , Clopenthixol/adverse effects , Combined Modality Therapy , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Double-Blind Method , Drug Administration Schedule , Female , Haloperidol/adverse effects , Humans , Intellectual Disability/psychology , Learning Disabilities/psychology , Male , Middle Aged , Single-Blind Method , Social Behavior Disorders/psychology , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
Gestation is longer in Faroese than Danish women, possibly because of the high intake of marine long-chain n-3 fatty acids that down regulates formation of prostaglandins from arachidonic acid. Polyunsaturated fatty acids were quantified in erythrocytes obtained within 2 days of delivery from randomly selected groups of 62 Faroese and 37 Danish women with an assessable gestational age. Average ratio of long-chain n-3 fatty acids to arachidonic acid [(3/6) ratio] was 0.73 (SD = 0.11) in Faroese women and 0.61 (SD = 0.12) in Danish women (p less than 0.0001), corresponding to the higher intake of marine n-3 fatty acids in the Faroes. A 20% increase in the (3/6) ratio was associated with an increase in pregnancy duration of 5.7 days in Danish women (95% confidence interval, 1.4 to 10.1 days; p = 0.02) and 0.7 days in Faroese women (95% confidence interval, -2.0 to 3.3; p = 0.6). The hypothesized exposure-effect relationship may be weaker or absent at the higher level of exposure seen in the Faroese group.
