An open clinical trial with the long-acting neuroleptics flupenthixol decanoate and fluphenazine decanoate in the maintenance treatment of schizophrenia.

An open clinical trial was carried out in 21 chronic schizophrenics to assess the effectiveness and side-effects of treatment with depot neuroleptics. All patients had been stabilized on fluphenazine decanoate for at least 6 months and on entry to the study were given the choice of continuing with this treatment or changing over to flupenthixol decanoate. Sixteen patients chose to receive flupenthixol decanoate (40 mg) and the other 5 fluphenazine decanoate (25 mg). Doses were given every 4 weeks during the 12-week study period. Clinical assessments were carried out every 4 weeks (Weeks 0, 4, 8 and 12) using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale and a side-effects checklist, and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, the Schedule for Affected Disorders and Schizophrenia--Change Version, and the Global Assessment Scale were completed on entry (Week 0) and at the end of the study (Week 12). The results indicated that symptoms of depression, withdrawal, worrying, and psychomotor retardation were improved significantly (p less than 0.05) more with flupenthixol than with fluphenazine. The frequency of side-effects decreased during treatment with flupenthixol and there was a tendency towards fewer side-effects in the flupenthixol group than in the fluphenazine group after 8 weeks of treatment. It is concluded that a group of schizophrenic patients characterized by depressive symptoms or side-effects attributable to a prescribed neuroleptic might benefit from a switch to flupenthixol treatment.