Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-mkpzs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T12:02:00.108Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Propranolol in Schizophrenia

I. Comparison of Propranolol, Chlorpromazine and Placebo

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

M. Peet*
Affiliation:
ICI Ltd, Pharmaceuticals Division, and Clinical Assistant, Parkside Hospital, Macclesfield, Cheshire and St Edward's Hospital, Cheddleton, Leek, Staffordshire
M. S. Bethell
Affiliation:
Parkside Hospital
A. Coates
Affiliation:
Worcester District, Hon. Visiting Research Fellow, University of Aston, Birmingham, Worcester Royal Infirmary, Worcester
A. K. Khamnee
Affiliation:
Worcester District, Hon. Visiting Research Fellow, University of Aston, Birmingham, Worcester Royal Infirmary, Worcester
P. Hall
Affiliation:
Worcester District, Hon. Visiting Research Fellow, University of Aston, Birmingham, Worcester Royal Infirmary, Worcester
S. J. Cooper
Affiliation:
Holywell Hospital, Antrim
D. J. King
Affiliation:
Holywell Hospital, Antrim
R. A. Yates
Affiliation:
Clinical Research Department, ICI Ltd, Pharmaceuticals Division, Alderley Park, Macclesfield, Cheshire
*
Presently Consultant Psychiatrist, Walton Hospital, Chesterfield, Derbyshire.

Summary

Fifty-three hospitalized chronic schizophrenic patients were treated with either propranolol, chlorpromazine or placebo in a double-blind randomized trial for up to three months. Propranolol in a usual dose of 640 mg/day, produced marked cardiovascular effects but no improvement in schizophrenic symptomatology relative to placebo. The effects of chlorpromazine were small and inconsistent.

Type
Papers
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1981 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

∗∗

Reprint requests.

References

Atsmon, A., Blum, I., Steiner, M., Latz, A. & Wijsenbeek, H. (1972) Further studies with propranolol in psychotic patients. Psychopharmacologia, 27, 249–54.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Belmaker, R. H., Ebstein, R. P., Dasberg, H., Levy, A., Sedvall, G. & Van Praag, H. M. (1979) The effect of propranolol treatment in schizophrenia on CSF amine metabolites and prolactin. Psychopharmacology, 63, 293–6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bennett, B. M. (1968) Rank-order tests of linear hypotheses. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, 30, 483–9.Google Scholar
Bremner, R. M., Greengrass, P. M., Morville, M. & Blackburn, K. J. (1978) Effect of tolamolol and other beta-adrenoceptor blocking drugs on [3H] haloperidol binding to rat striatal membrane preparations. Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 30, 388–90.Google Scholar
Chouinard, G. & Jones, B. D. (1980) Neurolepticinduced supersensitivity psychosis: clinical and pharmacological characteristics. American Journal of Psychiatry, 137, 1621.Google Scholar
Crow, T. J. (1980) Molecular pathology of schizophrenia: more than one disease process? British Medical Journal, 280, 66–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dunnett, C. W. (1964) New tables for multiple comparisons with a control. Biometrics, 21, 482–91.Google Scholar
Elizur, A., Segal, Z., Yeret, A., Davidson, S. & Atsmon, A. (1979) Antipsychotic effect of propranolol on chronic schizophrenics: study of a gradual treatment regimen. Psychopharmacology, 60, 189–94.Google Scholar
Feighner, J. P., Robins, E., Guze, S. B., Woodruff, R. A., Winokur, G. & Munoz, R. (1972) Diagnostic criteria for use in psychiatric research. Archives of General Psychiatry, 26, 5763.Google Scholar
Fraser, H. S. & Carr, A. C. (1976) Propranolol psychosis. British Journal of Psychiatry, 129, 508–12.Google Scholar
Gardos, G., Cole, J. O., Volicer, L., Orzack, M. H. & Oliff, A. C. (1973) A dose-response study of propranolol in chronic schizophrenics. Current Therapeutic Research, 15, 314–23.Google Scholar
Gershon, E. S., Goldstein, R. E., Moss, A. J. & Kammen, V., Kammen, D.P. (1979) Psychosis with ordinary doses of propranolol. Annals of Internal Medicine, 90, 938–9.Google Scholar
Guy, W., Petrie, W. & Cleary, P. (1978) The incidence of treatment emergent symptoms under chlorpromazine and placebo conditions. Psychopharmacology Bulletin, 14, 22–4.Google ScholarPubMed
Hanssen, T., Heyden, T., Sundberg, I., Alfredsson, G., Nybäck, H. & Wetterberg, L. (1980) Propranolol in schizophrenia. Archives of General Psychiatry, 37, 685–90.Google Scholar
Honigfeld, G., Gillis, R. D. & Klett, C. J. (1966) NOSIE—30: A treatment-sensitive ward behaviour scale. Psychological Reports, 19, 180–2.Google Scholar
Hughes, J. S. & Little, J. C. (1967) An appraisal of the continuing practice of prescribing tranquillizing drugs for long-stay psychiatric patients. British Journal of Psychiatry, 113, 867–73.Google Scholar
King, D. J., Turkson, S. N. A., Liddle, J. & Kinney, C. D. (1980) Some clinical and metabolic aspects of propranolol in chronic schizophrenia. British Journal of Psychiatry, 137, 458–68.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Klawans, H. L., Goetz, C. G. & Perlik, S. (1980) Tardive dyskinesia: review and update. American Journal of Psychiatry, 137, 900–8.Google Scholar
Koehler, K. & Guth, W. (1977) Schizophrenieähnliche Psychose nach Einnahme von Propranolol. Münchener Medizinische Wochenschrift, 119, 443–4.Google Scholar
Letemendia, F. J. J. & Harris, A. D. (1967) Chlorpromazine and the untreated chronic schizophrenic: a long-term trial. British Journal of Psychiatry, 113, 950–8.Google Scholar
Lindstrom, L. H. & Persson, E. (1980) Propranolol in chronic schizophrenia: a controlled study in neuroleptic-treated patients. British Journal of Psychiatry, 137, 126–30.Google Scholar
Marsden, C. D. & Jenner, P. (1980) The pathophysiology of extrapyramidal side-effects of neuroleptic drugs. Psychological Medicine, 10, 5572.Google Scholar
Overall, J. E. & Gorham, D. R. (1962) The brief psychiatric rating scale. Psychological Reports, 10, 799812.Google Scholar
Peet, M., Middlemiss, D. N. & Yates, R. A. (1980) Pharmacokinetic interaction between propranolol and chlorpromazine in schizophrenic patients. Lancet, ii, 978.Google Scholar
Peet, M., Middlemiss, D. N. & Yates, R. A. (1981) Propranolol in schizophrenia II. Clinical and biochemical aspects of combining propranolol with chlorpromazine. British Journal of Psychiatry (in press).Google Scholar
Rackensperger, W., Gaupp, R., Mattke, D. J., Schwartz, D. & Stutte, K. H. (1974) Behandlung von akuten schizophrenen Psychosen mit Beta-receptoren-blockern. Archiv für Psychiatrie und Nervenkrankheiten, 219, 2936.Google Scholar
Ridges, A. P., Lawton, K., Harper, P., Ghosh, C. & Hindson, N. (1977) Propranolol in schizophrenia. Lancet, ii, 986.Google Scholar
Sheppard, G. P. (1979) High-dose propranolol in schizophrenia. British Journal of Psychiatry, 134, 470–6.Google Scholar
Stam, F. C. (1971) Enkele ervaringen met propranolol-behandeling van schizophrenen. Nederlandse Tijdschrift voor Psychiatrie, 13, 422–6.Google Scholar
Steinert, J. & Pugh, C. R. (1979) Two patients with schizophrenic-like psychosis after treatment with beta-adrenergic blockers. British Medical Journal, i, 790.Google Scholar
Tobias, L. L. & Macdonald, M. L. (1974) Withdrawal of maintenance drugs with long-term hospitalised mental patients: a critical review. Psychological Bulletin, 81, 107–25.Google Scholar
Tyrer, P. J. (1977) Propranolol in schizophrenia. Lancet, ii, 761.Google Scholar
Whitlock, F. A. & Bonfield, A. R. (1980) Propranolol psychosis. Medical Journal of Australia, 1, 184–5.Google Scholar
Yorkston, N. J., Zaki, S. A., Malik, M. K. U., Morrison, R. C. & Havard, C. W. H. (1974) Propranolol in the control of schizophrenic symptoms. British Medical Journal, iv, 633–5.Google Scholar
Yorkston, N. J., Zaki, S. A., Themen, J. F. A. & Havard, C. W. H. (1976) Propranolol to control schizophrenic symptoms: 55 patients. Advances in Clinical Pharmacology, 12, 91104.Google Scholar
Yorkston, N. J., Zaki, S. A., Pitcher, D. R., Gruzelier, J. H., Hollander, D. & Sergeant, H. G. S. (1977a) Propranolol as an adjunct to the treatment of schizophrenia: Lancet, ii, 575–8.Google Scholar
Yorkston, N. J., Gruzelier, J. H., Zaki, S. A., Hollander, D., Pitcher, D. R. & Sergeant, H. G. S. (1977b) Propranolol in chronic schizophrenia. Lancet, ii, 1082–3.Google Scholar
Yorkston, N. J., Zaki, S. A., Weller, M. P., Gruzelier, J. H. & Hirsch, S. R. (1981) DL-propranolol and chlorpromazine following admission for schizophrenia. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 63, 1327.Google Scholar
von Zerssen, D. (1976) Beta-adrenergic blocking agents in the treatment of psychoses. A report on 17 patients. Advances in Clinical Pharmacology, 12, 105–14.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.