Interaction of changes in hospital environment and neurotropic co-medication in chronic psychiatric inpatient. A placebo controlled double-blind study.

Abstract

Chronic psychiatric patients (N = 42) predominantly diagnosed as schizophrenics, who had been hospitalized for the mean of 9 years were treated in a double-blind study with a neurotropic drug (tamitinol dihydrochloride coated tablets of 300 mg t.i.d.) and placebo. Test drugs were administered concomitantly to the existing drug therapy during two treatment periods of 6 weeks each with an interval of two months free of test medication. In the second treatment period patients moved to a new building. It was expected that neurotropic drug effects can be made clearer after the transfer requiring patient's reorientation in a new environment than before the transfer. Assessment of efficacy was made using observer ratings (Psychic and Somatic Findings of the A.M.P. System, WING Behaviour Rating Scale) and patient's self ratings (Adjective Check List. List of Somatic Symptoms) and clinical laboratory parameters. Results show that neurotropic co-medication reduced the "neurological syndrome" and the "psychoorganic syndrome" (A.M.P. System). An amelioration of the "neurological syndrome" was observed at the end of the first and at the end of the second medication phase (p less than or equal to 0.10) whilst the improvement of the "psychoorganic syndrome" was particularly evident as expected after the transfer to the new building (p less than or equal to 0.001) Patients receiving placebo described themselves as more active than patients receiving the test drug. (Adjective Check List: p less than or equal to 0.10). No subjective or objective side effects (List of somatic symptoms and laboratory parameters) were evident due to the test medication which was tolerated by all patients.