Étude Comparative de la Butapérazine et de la Prochlorpérazine Chez le Schizophrène Chronique

Abstract

A comparative double-blind trial of butaperazine and prochlorperazine was carried out in 40 chronic schizophrenic patients. Subjects were matched in 20 pairs according to sex, age, duration of hospitalization, staff, ward and score on the B.P.R.S. Drugs were randomly allocated within each pair of patients and their effects evaluated according to the B.P.R.S. Posology was progressively increased up to 200 mg. daily but remained always equal for all patients. Results were analysed by non-parametric statistics for the B.P.R.S. and by an χ2 test for the global evaluation. Butaperazine and prochlorperazine showed a significant therapeutic efficacy throughout the twelve-week period. At the fourth and tenth week, prochlorperazine was significantly superior to butaperazine. However, at the twelfth week there was no significant difference in the efficacy of both drugs, as measured by the B.P.R.S. and the global evaluation. Beyond 100 mg. daily of both drugs a plateau was reached which higher doses did not influence. Side effects made their appearance sooner with butaperazine but at the end of the trial the frequency of side effects was comparable with both drugs. A highly significant positive correlation between raters adds weight to our results*.

Evaluation of butaperazine in chronic schizophrenia

“…The ward nurse provided aglobaI evaluation (at the sixteenth week only) of the degree of change based on a scale ranging from -1 (worse) through zero (no change) to +3 (markedly improved). 6. At the end of the study the psychiatrist ranked all patients in order from the greatest degree of improvement to the least.…”