The Brief Social Phobia Scale (BSPS) is an observer-rated scale designed to assess the characteristic symptoms of social phobia, using three subscales-fear, avoidance, and physiological arousal-which may be combined into a total score. Each of 18 BSPS items is anchored to a 5-point rating scale. Psychometric evaluation of the BSPS in a sample of 275 social-phobia patients yielded a high level of reliability and validity. Test-retest reliability was excellent, as was internal consistency. The fear and avoidance subscales demonstrated highly significant correlations with remaining item totals; however, the physiological subscale did not. The BSPS also demonstrated significant relationships with other established scales that assess anxiety and disability, and it proved sensitive to treatment effects in a trial of a 5-HT3 antagonist and placebo. Factor analysis yielded six meaningful factors. We conclude that the BSPS provides a reliable, valid, and sensitive measure for the evaluation of social phobia.

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This study reports the pharmacologic induction of behavioral pharmacologic hypersensitivity in an animal model of tardive dyskinesia. Four groups of rats received IP injections twice daily of 2.5 mg/kg haloperidol (H), 10 mg/kg benztropine (B), 2.5 mg/kg H plus 10 mg/kg benztropine (H + B), or saline for 4 weeks. Drug-induced catalepsy and spontaneous oral activity were measured daily during treatment. At 1 and 2 weeks after withdrawal of treatment, all groups were tested with apomorphine (AP) for the induction of stereotyped behavior. At 6 weeks after withdrawal of treatment, all animals were tested for catalepsy after receiving 2.5 mg/kg H. During the chronic treatment phase, H inhibited and B enhanced spontaneous oral activity. Also, H induced profound catalepsy during week 1, with partial tolerance to this effect observed during weeks 2-4. At 2 weeks after withdrawal, equivalent enhancement of AP stereotypy was seen in the H and B groups, but H + B (and saline) did not cause enhancement. At 6 weeks after withdrawal, enhancement of catalepsy was observed in the H and B groups, while H + B and control groups did not differ. Both H and B administered chronically can produce hypersensitivity when given alone, but this effect is attenuated when H and B are given in combination. While preservation of the dopamine-(DA)-acetylcholine balance during treatment appears to protect against hypersensitivity, the blockade of DA reuptake by benztropine, rather than its anticholinergic properties, may explain both the failure of combined treatment to induce hypersensitivity and the ability of B alone to induce hypersensitivity.

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, 152, 522â€"534) have recently reported on the effects of clomipramine and various modalities of behavioural therapy in a double-blind trial involving 49 ritualising obsessive compulsive patients. We feel that the review of litera ture and the interpretation of findings provided by the authors may not be fully correct. The authors suggest that no studies support the therapeutic superiority of clomipramine in comparison with other tricyclic drugs in treating