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Adjunctive use of reboxetine in schizophrenia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

Thomas J. Raedler ,
Holger Jahn ,
Josef Arlt ,
Falk Kiefer ,
Mildred Schick ,
Dieter Naber  and
Klaus Wiedemann
Thomas J. Raedler*
Affiliation:
University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Martini str. 52, 20246Hamburg, Germany
Holger Jahn
Affiliation:
University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Martini str. 52, 20246Hamburg, Germany
Josef Arlt
Affiliation:
University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Martini str. 52, 20246Hamburg, Germany
Falk Kiefer
Affiliation:
University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Martini str. 52, 20246Hamburg, Germany
Mildred Schick
Affiliation:
University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Martini str. 52, 20246Hamburg, Germany
Dieter Naber
Affiliation:
University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Martini str. 52, 20246Hamburg, Germany
Klaus Wiedemann
Affiliation:
University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Martini str. 52, 20246Hamburg, Germany
*
*Corresponding author. Email address: traedler@uke.uni-hamburg.de (T.J. Raedler).
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Abstract

Background

Schizophrenia is frequently complicated by depressive or negative symptoms that respond only moderately to treatment with antipsychotic drugs. Reboxetine is a novel antidepressant, which inhibits the reuptake of norepinephrine. We sought to study the efficacy and tolerability of the adjunctive use of reboxetine in a cohort of schizophrenic patients with prominent depressive or negative symptoms.

Methods

Sixteen schizophrenic inpatients were recruited for this study. All subjects received 4–8 mg of reboxetine/day while the antipsychotic medication (typical antipsychotics = 4; atypical antipsychotics = 12) was continued. All subjects underwent a standardized assessment including PANSS, CGI, HAMD, and CDSS before and after treatment with reboxetine (mean 26 ± 17 d).

Results

All subjects tolerated treatment with reboxetine. Adverse effects were mild and did not require discontinuation of reboxetine. All clinical scores (PANSS 93.1 vs. 63.1; CGI 5.4 vs. 4.1; HAMD 20.4 vs. 8.1; CDSS 12.5 vs. 4.6) improved significantly under adjunctive treatment with reboxetine (all P < 0.01).

Conclusion

The adjunctive use of reboxetine in schizophrenic patients was safe and well-tolerated. Our results suggest that the adjunctive use of reboxetine may be an effective treatment for depressive and negative symptoms in schizophrenia.

Keywords

SchizophreniaDepressionNegative symptomsAntidepressantsReboxetine
Type
Original article
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 19 , Issue 6 , September 2004 , pp. 366 - 369
Copyright
Copyright © 2004 European Psychiatric Association

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