Advertisement
Research Article| Volume 20, ISSUE 10, P1098-1102, October 1985

Pilot study on the effects of fenfluramine on negative symptoms in twelve schizophrenic inpatients

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-3223(85)90008-3
Pilot study on the effects of fenfluramine on negative symptoms in twelve schizophrenic inpatients
Previous ArticleA comparison of the acute effects of dextroamphetamine and fenfluramine in depression
Next ArticleUse of the polyethylene glycol adduct of l-asparaginase for the treatment of hyperasparaginemia in a schizophrenic patient
      This paper is only available as a PDF. To read, Please Download here.

      Abstract

      We treated 12 chronic schizophrenic inpatients with fenfluramine, an anorexigenic drug that depletes serotonin, to test the hypothesis that the “negative” symptoms of schizophrenia might be related to brain serotonin activity. We measured change in both positive and negative symptoms in a double-blind, parallel-design trial of fenfluramine or placebo. Negative symptoms improved over time in some individuals within the active treatment group, but not in individuals within the placebo group. However, group comparisons of active treatment versus placebo were not significant.
      To read this article in full you will need to make a payment

      Purchase one-time access:

      Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online access
      One-time access price info
      • For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
      • For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'

      Subscribe:

      Subscribe to Biological Psychiatry
      Already a print subscriber? Claim online access
      Already an online subscriber? Sign in
      Register: Create an account
      Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect

      References

        • Andreasen N.C.
        • Olsen S.
        Negative versus positive schizophrenia.
        Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1982; 39: 789-794
        • Clineschmidt B.V.
        • Zacchei A.G.
        • Totaro J.A.
        • Pflueger A.B.
        • McGuffin J.C.
        • Wishousky T.I.
        Fenfluramine and brain serotonin.
        Ann NY Acad Sci. 1978; 305: 222-241
        • Crow T.J.
        Positive and negative schizophrenic symptoms and the role of dopamine.
        Br J Psychiatry. 1980; 137: 383-386
        • Crow T.J.
        Molecular pathology of schizophrenia: More than one disease process.
        Br Med J. 1980; 280: 66-68
        • DeLisi L.E.
        • Neckers L.M.
        • Weinberger D.R.
        • Wyatt R.J.
        Increased whole blood serotonin concentrations in chronic schizophrenic patients.
        Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1981; 38: 647-650
        • Freedman D.X.
        • Belendiuk K.
        • Belendiuk G.W.
        • Crayton J.W.
        Blood tryptophan metabolism in chronic schizophrenics.
        Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1981; 38: 655-659
        • Garelis E.
        • Gillin J.C.
        • Wyatt R.J.
        • Neff N.
        Elevated blood serotonin concentrations in unmedicated chronic schizophrenic patients: A preliminary study.
        Am J Psychiatry. 1975; 132: 184-186
        • Geller E.
        • Ritvo E.R.
        • Freeman B.J.
        • Yuwiler A.
        Preliminary observations on the effect of fenfluramine on blood serotonin and symptoms in three autistic boys.
        N Engl J Med. 1982; 37: 165-169
        • Joseph M.H.
        • Owen F.
        • Baker H.F.
        • et al.
        Platelet serotonin concentration and monoamine oxidase activity in unmedicated chronic schizophrenic and in schizo-affective patients.
        Psychiatric Med. 1977; 7: 159-172
        • Kraemer H.C.
        Coping strategies in psychiatric clinical research.
        J Consult Clin Psychol. 1981; 49: 309-314
        • Overall J.
        The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale in psychopharmacology research.
        in: Psychological Measurements Psychopharmacology Mod. Probl. Pharmacopsychiat.vol. 7. Karger, Paris1974: 67-80
        • Overall J.
        • Gorman D.R.
        The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale.
        Psychol Rep. 1962; 10: 799-812
        • Ritvo E.R.
        • Freeman B.J.
        • Geller E.
        • Yuwiler A.
        Effects of fenfluramine on 14 outpatients with the syndrome of autism.
        J Am Acad Child Psychiatry. 1983; 22: 549-558
        • Spitzer R.L.
        • Endicott J.
        • Robins E.
        Research Diagnostic Criteria: Rationale and reliability.
        Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1978; 35: 773-780
        • Stahl S.M.
        • Woo D.J.
        • Mefford I.N.
        • Berger P.A.
        • Ciaranello R.D.
        Hyperserotonemia and platelet serotonin uptake in schizophrenia and affective disorders.
        Am J Psychiatry. 1983; 140: 26-30

      Article info

      Publication history

      Received in revised form: May 13, 1985
      Received: February 14, 1985

      Footnotes

      ☆Supported in part by NIMH Grant MH-30854 to the Norris Mental Health Clinical Research Center at Stanford University and a grant from the Research Service of the Veterans Administration to the Schizophrenia Biologic Research Center at Palo Alto Veterans Administration Medical Center.

      Identification

      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-3223(85)90008-3

      Copyright

      © 1985 Published by Elsevier Inc.

      ScienceDirect

      Access this article on ScienceDirect

      The content on this site is intended for healthcare professionals.


      We use cookies to help provide and enhance our service and tailor content. To update your cookie settings, please visit the Cookie Preference Center for this site.
      Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. except certain content provided by third parties.


      RELX