INTERMITTENT VERSUS MAINTENANCE NEUROLEPTIC LONG-TERM TREATMENT IN SCHIZOPHRENIA - 2-YEAR RESULTS OF A GERMAN MULTICENTER STUDY

The paper presents the 2-year results of a multicenter study on the co mparative efficacy of different neuroleptic long-term treatment strate gies in 364 schizophrenic outpatients carried out by the German Neurol eptic Treatment Study (ANI) Group. Three randomly assigned open neurol eptic treatments were compared: standard prophylactic maintenance medi cation, and two types of intermittent treatment (early intervention an d neuroleptic crisis intervention). Although relapserates were signifi cantly lower under early intervention (49%) than under crisis interven tion (63%), those under maintenance treatment were by far the lowest ( 23%). Dropout and rehospitalization rates under both intermittent trea tment strategies were also significantly less favorable than under mai ntenance treatment, whereas psychopathology, social adjustment, subjec tive wellbeing, and side-effects were not significantly different betw een treatment strategies. Cumulative neuroleptic dosage was significan tly lower under intermittent treatment, even when inpatient treatment in a case of rehospitalization was considered. In conclusion, prophyla ctic maintenance medication turns out again to be the best treatment f or most of the patients.