Biomaterial Database

Clonazepam/haloperidol combination therapy in schizophrenia: a double blind study. 1987

A C Altamura, and M C Mauri, and M Mantero, and M Brunetti

Department of Clinical Psychiatry, University of Milan, Italy.

Clonazepam (CLN), a benzodiazepine originally used as an anti-epileptic, was tested in schizophrenia in a double blind comparison in combination with haloperidol (HL). Twenty-four schizophrenic inpatients, diagnosed according to DSM III were treated with HL and CLN (Group 1) or HL and placebo (Group 2) for 4 weeks. The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and the Extrapyramidal Side Effect Scale (EPSE) were used for assessing psychopathological features and extrapyramidal side-effects before treatment and then weekly. No differences in specific schizophrenic symptoms were detected between the two groups, but in Group 1 an early significant BPRS amelioration was noticed compared to Group 2. Moreover, the excitement item improved significantly in Group 1 only, from the second week. Less severe EPSE scores were observed in Group 1 in comparison to Group 2. In conclusion the combination of CLN and HL seems to be preferred to HL alone in cases of psychotic excitement and in order to reduce the severity of extrapyramidal side-effects.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D011569	Psychiatric Status Rating Scales	Standardized procedures utilizing rating scales or interview schedules carried out by health personnel for evaluating the degree of mental illness.	Factor Construct Rating Scales (FCRS),Katz Adjustment Scales,Lorr's Inpatient Multidimensional Psychiatric Rating Scale,Wittenborn Scales,Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale,Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview
D011897	Random Allocation	A process involving chance used in therapeutic trials or other research endeavor for allocating experimental subjects, human or animal, between treatment and control groups, or among treatment groups. It may also apply to experiments on inanimate objects.	Randomization,Allocation, Random
D002986	Clinical Trials as Topic	Works about pre-planned studies of the safety, efficacy, or optimum dosage schedule (if appropriate) of one or more diagnostic, therapeutic, or prophylactic drugs, devices, or techniques selected according to predetermined criteria of eligibility and observed for predefined evidence of favorable and unfavorable effects. This concept includes clinical trials conducted both in the U.S. and in other countries.	Clinical Trial as Topic
D002998	Clonazepam	An anticonvulsant used for several types of seizures, including myotonic or atonic seizures, photosensitive epilepsy, and absence seizures, although tolerance may develop. It is seldom effective in generalized tonic-clonic or partial seizures. The mechanism of action appears to involve the enhancement of GAMMA-AMINOBUTYRIC ACID receptor responses.	2H-1,4-Benzodiazepin-2-one, 5-(2-chlorophenyl)-1,3-dihydro-7-nitro-,Klonopin,Antelepsin,Rivotril,Ro 5-4023,Ro 54023
D004311	Double-Blind Method	A method of studying a drug or procedure in which both the subjects and investigators are kept unaware of who is actually getting which specific treatment.	Double-Masked Study,Double-Blind Study,Double-Masked Method,Double Blind Method,Double Blind Study,Double Masked Method,Double Masked Study,Double-Blind Methods,Double-Blind Studies,Double-Masked Methods,Double-Masked Studies,Method, Double-Blind,Method, Double-Masked,Methods, Double-Blind,Methods, Double-Masked,Studies, Double-Blind,Studies, Double-Masked,Study, Double-Blind,Study, Double-Masked
D004359	Drug Therapy, Combination	Therapy with two or more separate preparations given for a combined effect.	Combination Chemotherapy,Polychemotherapy,Chemotherapy, Combination,Combination Drug Therapy,Drug Polytherapy,Therapy, Combination Drug,Chemotherapies, Combination,Combination Chemotherapies,Combination Drug Therapies,Drug Polytherapies,Drug Therapies, Combination,Polychemotherapies,Polytherapies, Drug,Polytherapy, Drug,Therapies, Combination Drug
D005260	Female		Females
D006220	Haloperidol	A phenyl-piperidinyl-butyrophenone that is used primarily to treat SCHIZOPHRENIA and other PSYCHOSES. It is also used in schizoaffective disorder, DELUSIONAL DISORDERS, ballism, and TOURETTE SYNDROME (a drug of choice) and occasionally as adjunctive therapy in INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY and the chorea of HUNTINGTON DISEASE. It is a potent antiemetic and is used in the treatment of intractable HICCUPS. (From AMA Drug Evaluations Annual, 1994, p279)	Haldol