| Abstract: | Twenty-four chronic schizophrenic long-stay hospital patients were identified, who had not received neuroleptic drugs for 8–30 (average 8 months) and met or exceeded a minimum criterion of severity of negative symptoms. They were rendomly alocated to either sulpiride 200 mg twice daily or matching placebo, on a double-blind basis for 12 weeks. The results showed that low-dose sulpiride was significantly better than placebo in relation to improvements in negative symptoms. The changes in social behaviour were complex and not obviously related to symptom improvement; exhibited abnormal behaviour, a major factor in preventing successful return to the community, consistently improved only on the active drug. |
