IMPROVEMENT OF ACUTE EXACERBATIONS OF SCHIZOPHRENIA WITH AMISULPRIDE - A COMPARISON WITH HALOPERIDOL

Amisulpride is a substituted benzamide with high selectivity for dopam inergic D-2 and D-3 receptors. This study compared 800 mg/day amisulpr ide and 20 mg/day haloperidol in patients with acute exacerbations of schizophrenia. This multicenter, doubleblind trial involved 191 patien ts allocated, after a 1 to 7-day wash-out period, to amisulpride (n = 95) or haloperidol (n = 96) for 6 weeks. Improvement of mean BPRS tota l score was 48% for amisulpride and 38% for haloperidol (NS), whereas improvement in the Negative PANSS subscale was greater in the amisulpr ide group (37%) compared to haloperidol (24%) (P = 0.038). CGI scores showed a higher number of responders in the amisulpride (62%) than in the haloperidol group (44%) (P = 0.014). More extrapyramidal symptoms measured with the Simpson-Angus scale were provoked in the haloperidol group (P = 0.0009). Amisulpride is at least as effective as haloperid ol in the treatment of acute exacerbations of schizophrenia, and is mo re effective in the treatment of negative symptoms whilst causing less parkinsonism.