QUANTITATIVE EEG AND BPRS DATA FOLLOWING HALDOL-DECANOATE(R) ADMINISTRATION IN SCHIZOPHRENICS

Approximately one-third of schizophrenic patients receiving antipsycho tic drugs obtain little or no benefit from them. In some reports, resp onse has been linked with ''prognostic'' factors, including abnormal E EG and drug response (pharmaco-EEG). Measurements of topological EEG s pectral power and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) values were ob tained in 15 schizophrenics over a period of 20 min immediately after the first application, and at weekly intervals after single intramuscu lar injection of 2 ml depot haloperidol (Haldol-Decanoate(R)). A highl y significant increase in the alpha-1 power density at almost all posi tions and an increase in theta power at parietotemporal regions can be described as electrophysiological parameters of the acute pharmaco-EE G. BPRS values decreased continuously within the first 2 weeks followe d by an increase to the predrug level after the fourth week. Over the whole observation period there was a correlation between neurophysiolo gical data (alpha-1 power) and clinical symptomatology (BPRS total sco re; r = -0.7). Therefore, it can be concluded that quantitative EEG re cordings are able to serve as a tool for the optimization of the depot neuroleptic treatment in schizophrenics.