OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to assess the relationship between plasma haloperidol and clinical response. METHOD: Sixty-ninenewly admitted drug-free schizophrenic men were randomly assigned to receive haloperidol, 5, 10, or 20 mg daily for 4 weeks, and clinical response was measured at the end of the fixed-dose period. Haloperidol was assayed by a sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay. RESULTS: The authors found a curvilinear relationship between clinical response and plasma haloperidol during fixed-dose treatment, with an apparent optimum between 5 and 12 ng/ml. When plasma levels above 12 ng/ml were lowered to the 5-12 ng/ml range, all patients improved to varying degrees and no patient deteriorated. When plasma levels of nonresponders within this therapeutic window were raised above 12 ng/ml (as in routine practice), they, on balance, deteriorated in that they became more dysphoric. With the 20-mg dose, half the patients had plasma levels above 12 ng/ml. CONCLUSIONS: In this sample of newly admitted schizophrenic men, optimal clinical response occurred with a plasma haloperidol range of 5-12 ng/ml.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to assess the relationship between plasma haloperidol and clinical response. METHOD: Sixty-nine newly admitted drug-free schizophrenicmen were randomly assigned to receive haloperidol, 5, 10, or 20 mg daily for 4 weeks, and clinical response was measured at the end of the fixed-dose period. Haloperidol was assayed by a sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay. RESULTS: The authors found a curvilinear relationship between clinical response and plasma haloperidol during fixed-dose treatment, with an apparent optimum between 5 and 12 ng/ml. When plasma levels above 12 ng/ml were lowered to the 5-12 ng/ml range, all patients improved to varying degrees and no patient deteriorated. When plasma levels of nonresponders within this therapeutic window were raised above 12 ng/ml (as in routine practice), they, on balance, deteriorated in that they became more dysphoric. With the 20-mg dose, half the patients had plasma levels above 12 ng/ml. CONCLUSIONS: In this sample of newly admitted schizophrenicmen, optimal clinical response occurred with a plasma haloperidol range of 5-12 ng/ml.
Authors: W Seiler; H Wetzel; A Hillert; G Schöllnhammer; M Langer; U Barlage; C Hiemke Journal: Psychopharmacology (Berl) Date: 1994-12 Impact factor: 4.530
Authors: M Hornig; T Briese; J Licinio; R F Khabbaz; L L Altshuler; S G Potkin; M Schwemmle; U Siemetzki; J Mintz; K Honkavuori; H C Kraemer; M F Egan; P C Whybrow; W E Bunney; W I Lipkin Journal: Mol Psychiatry Date: 2012-01-31 Impact factor: 15.992