The improvement in the clinical methods of identifying borderline
subjects makes it necessary to reevaluate the efficacy of the treatment
offered them. A random sample of 52 borderline and schizotypal patients was
treated with two major neuroleptics, thiothixene and haloperidol, in a
double-blind study. Eighty-four percent were markedly to moderately
improved at 3-month follow-up; the patients responded better to thiothixene
than to haloperidol. The main areas of positive response were those of
cognitive disturbance, derealization, ideas of reference, anxiety, and
depression. The patients also showed improvement in self- image and social
functioning. There was no significant relationship between diagnosis and
outcome of treatment.
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