Am J Psychiatry 1994; 151:429-431
Copyright © 1994 by American Psychiatric Association
A placebo-controlled trial of trihexyphenidyl in unmedicated patients with schizophrenia
DC Goff, E Amico, D Dreyfuss and D Ciraulo
Erich Lindemann Mental Health Center, Boston, MA.
Seventeen patients with schizophrenia who had been free of medication for
at least 2 months entered a placebo-controlled, random-order crossover
trial of 5 mg of trihexyphenidyl twice daily for 4 weeks. Ten patients
completed trials of both drug and placebo. Ratings of anticholinergic
symptoms and of feeling the effects of the drug, controlled for order
effects, were significantly higher at week 4 of the trihexyphenidyl trial
than at week 4 of the placebo trial. Measures of psychosis, negative
symptoms, depression, and liking the drug did not differ between
trihexyphenidyl and placebo trials.
