AN OPEN TRIAL OF THE D-1 ANTAGONIST SCH-39166 IN 6 CASES OF ACUTE PSYCHOTIC STATES

Six psychotic patients were included in a four-week study of the effec ts of the D-1 selective antagonist SCH 39166 given as monotherapy. Fou r had a diagnosis of schizophrenia, and two suffered from a schizoaffe ctive disorder. All presented with an acute psychotic exacerbation at the beginning of the trial. SCH 39166 was progressively increased from 50 mg/day to 600 mg/day. In the four schizophrenic patients, the BPRS worsened, and three out of the four failed to complete the study beca use of this. Three schizophrenic patients were aggressive or violent a fter abrupt discontinuation of treatment. In the two patients with sch izoaffective disorder the BPRS improved during the trial, but they had an acute relapse immediately after treatment discontinuation. Extrapy ramidal symptoms improved in three of the six patients, and worsened i n one.