The problem of post-psychotic schizophrenic depressions and their pharmacological induction. Long-term studies with fluspirilene and penfluridol and single-blind trial with fluphenazine-decanoate and flupenthixol-decanoate.

The authors discuss the historical aspects, as well as the various etiological and clinical factors which contribute to the so-called pharmacogenically induced depressions during treatment by means of neuroleptics generally, and long-term neuroleptics especially. An open study on 161 schizophrenic patients treated by means of fluspirilene and 123 patients treated by means of penfluridol is described. A single blind trial on 48 patients, by means of fluphenazine-decanoate and flupenthixol-decanoate, which compares the possible depression-inducing or antidepressant activity of the above drugs, is presented. The criteria for evaluating drug-induced depressions and their two clinical types are discussed.