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Mayo Clinic Proceedings Nov 2004
Review
Topics: Antipsychotic Agents; Delusions; Humans; Pimozide; Skin Diseases, Parasitic
PubMed: 15544029
DOI: 10.4065/79.11.1470 -
Diseases of the Nervous System Mar 1975In a double blind placebo controlled clinical evaluation of maintenance therapy in chronic schizophrenic female outpatients, thiordazine in single daily doses not... (Clinical Trial)
Clinical Trial Comparative Study
In a double blind placebo controlled clinical evaluation of maintenance therapy in chronic schizophrenic female outpatients, thiordazine in single daily doses not exceeding 375 mg./day for 6 months was shown to be effective maintenance treatment compared with PL, thereby establishing the sensitivity of the experiment. Pimozide was also shown to be effective in a single oral dose not exceeding 16 mg./day and comparable overall to the standard drug. The experimental design was based on the anticipated retrogression of PL treated subjects during the 6-month study period, which was reflected in 5 of 9 (56%) "treatment failures" in the PL group compared to 2 of 14 (14%) and 2 of 12 (17%) in the THI and PIM groups, respectively. In addition, in some instances improvement over baseline evaluations was noted in both drug groups, particularly on global impression. Though some items of the BPRS exhibited Drug: PL differences, the scale in general was felt to be rather insensitive for this kind of study. Social adjustment ratings on a special scale completed by the patients and families alike, were also found to be insensitive to treatment differences. Side effects most often seen with THI were sedation, EKG and liver function abnormalities. Headache and restlessness occurred most often with PIM. Extrapyramidal symptoms and insomnia were seen most often with PIM and PL equally.
Topics: Adult; Ambulatory Care; Basal Ganglia Diseases; Chronic Disease; Consciousness Disorders; Drug Evaluation; Headache; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Movement Disorders; Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; Pimozide; Placebos; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Schizophrenia; Social Adjustment; Thioridazine
PubMed: 1112170
DOI: No ID Found -
Progress in Neuro-psychopharmacology &... Feb 19981. The effects of pimozide on the psychopathology of delusional disorder were studied. 2. After six weeks, pimozide (2-12 mg/day) administration had no effect on the...
1. The effects of pimozide on the psychopathology of delusional disorder were studied. 2. After six weeks, pimozide (2-12 mg/day) administration had no effect on the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, or in the psychological, social and occupational functioning, as measured by the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale. 3. When the different dimensions of the delusional experience were looked upon, no modifications were observed in any of them after six weeks of pimozide treatment. 4. These data failed to support the therapeutic role of pimozide in the treatment of delusional disorder and may suggest, when compared to other disorders with prominent delusions such as schizophrenia, a different neurobiology for the illness.
Topics: Adult; Antipsychotic Agents; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Pimozide; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Schizophrenia, Paranoid; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 9608605
DOI: 10.1016/s0278-5846(98)00008-6 -
Psychopharmacology 1982Pimozide, a specific dopamine blocking agent, was compared with chlorpromazine in a 4-week double-blind study of the treatment of 40 schizophrenic patients newly... (Clinical Trial)
Clinical Trial Comparative Study Randomized Controlled Trial
Pimozide, a specific dopamine blocking agent, was compared with chlorpromazine in a 4-week double-blind study of the treatment of 40 schizophrenic patients newly admitted to hospital through the emergency room. Dosage was adjusted according to therapeutic effect and during the final week ranged from 10--70 mg/day (median 30 mg/day) for pimozide and 600--1,500 mg/day (median 900 mg/day) for chlorpromazine. Pimozide was found to exert somewhat less of an overall therapeutic effect than chlorpromazine, particularly in highly agitated patients. Women responded better to either treatment than men. A weighted mean of the doses given to male and female patients during the final week suggests that in the treatment of acutely ill patients the mg dose equivalency of pimozide in terms of chlorpromazine is approximately 1:25, considerably lower than estimates from maintenance studies. Pimozide induced significantly more parkinsonian symptoms but less autonomic side effects than chlorpromazine. It is suggested that the weaker presynaptic dopamine blocking effect of pimozide might be responsible for its reduced potency in the treatment of acute schizophrenic symptoms.
Topics: Acute Disease; Adult; Chlorpromazine; Double-Blind Method; Dyskinesia, Drug-Induced; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Parkinson Disease, Secondary; Pimozide; Prolactin; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenic Psychology
PubMed: 6805002
DOI: 10.1007/BF00430747 -
Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior Feb 1997Studies with laboratory animals have shown that dopamine antagonists block the rewarding and interoceptive effects of amphetamine. However, studies using dopamine... (Clinical Trial)
Clinical Trial
Studies with laboratory animals have shown that dopamine antagonists block the rewarding and interoceptive effects of amphetamine. However, studies using dopamine antagonists with humans have not consistently shown blockade of amphetamine-induced euphoria. The unexpected results in humans may relate to the low doses of dopamine antagonists tested. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a relatively high acute dose (8 mg) of the dopamine receptor antagonist, pimozide, on responses to d-amphetamine (10 and 20 mg) in normal volunteers. Male and female volunteers (N = 12) attended six sessions on which they received pimozide or placebo (7:30 am) followed by d-amphetamine or placebo (9:30 am). Subjective, physiological and behavioral measures were obtained at baseline (7:15 am) and hourly over a 5 h period. d-Amphetamine and pimozide, when administered alone, produced significant and opposite effects on ratings of Elation and Vigor, as well as on psychomotor performance and physiological measures. However, there were few significant interactions between pimozide and d-amphetamine. Thus, pimozide failed to consistently antagonize the effects of d-amphetamine, even at doses of pimozide that had behavioral and physiological effects when administered alone. Possible reasons for lack of robust dopamine antagonism of amphetamine-induced euphoria in humans are discussed.
Topics: Adult; Dextroamphetamine; Dopamine Antagonists; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Interactions; Euphoria; Female; Humans; Male; Pimozide
PubMed: 9050084
DOI: 10.1016/s0091-3057(96)00240-7 -
Schizophrenia Research Feb 2013A substantial number of patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia respond only partially to clozapine. Therefore, it has been common practice to use augmentation... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study Randomized Controlled Trial
INTRODUCTION
A substantial number of patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia respond only partially to clozapine. Therefore, it has been common practice to use augmentation strategies to maximize clozapine's effect. But the efficacy of this strategy remains poorly established. We have conducted a randomized double-blind placebo controlled clinical trial in patients with schizophrenia currently receiving clozapine with partial response, and tested the efficacy of pimozide augmentation on positive and negative symptoms and also on neurocognitive measures.
METHODS
Thirty-two outpatients enrolled in the clinical trial and 28 completed. Patients with adequate blood levels of clozapine were randomized to pimozide vs placebo and participated in the trial for 12 weeks receiving monthly assessments for Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and Schedule for Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS), and weekly assessments for electrocardiogram (EKG), and side effects. Neurocognitive tests measuring verbal fluency, working memory, motor and attention/executive function were obtained at study entry and end of the trial.
RESULTS
We found no significant effect of pimozide on BPRS total, psychosis and depression subscale items, SANS scores or QTc interval. Neurocognitive measures did not show significant improvement either.
DISCUSSION
In this well controlled clinical trial of patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia currently receiving clozapine, pimozide augmentation was not an effective strategy to maximize the benefit for better control of positive and negative symptoms or improving neurocognitive function.
Topics: Adult; Antipsychotic Agents; Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale; Clozapine; Double-Blind Method; Drug Synergism; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Neuropsychological Tests; Pimozide; Schizophrenia; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 23219861
DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2012.11.008 -
Neurology Jan 1990
Topics: Adolescent; Child; Chorea; Female; Humans; Pimozide
PubMed: 2296371
DOI: 10.1212/wnl.40.1.186 -
Dermatologic Therapy 2008Delusions of parasitosis is a rare psychiatric disorder in which the patient has a fixed, false belief that he or she is infested by parasites. Even though it is a... (Review)
Review
Delusions of parasitosis is a rare psychiatric disorder in which the patient has a fixed, false belief that he or she is infested by parasites. Even though it is a psychiatric disorder, these patients usually present to a dermatologist because they are convinced that they have a dermatologic problem. Patients with delusions of parasitosis generally reject psychiatric referral. The traditional treatment of choice for delusions of parasitosis is the antipsychotic medication pimozide (Orap, Gate Pharmaceuticals, Philadelphia, PA). The use of pimozide has been limited by its adverse effects, most notably extrapyramidal adverse effects. There is now an emerging role for atypical antipsychotics with a safer adverse effect profile in the treatment of delusions of parasitosis. However, the most challenging aspect of managing these patients may be the challenge of establishing rapport in the face of unshakable delusional ideation.
Topics: Antipsychotic Agents; Delusions; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; Humans; Male; Pimozide; Skin Diseases, Parasitic
PubMed: 18318879
DOI: 10.1111/j.1529-8019.2008.00163.x -
Brain Research Feb 1976
Topics: Animals; Extinction, Psychological; Hypothalamus; Male; Pimozide; Rats; Self Stimulation
PubMed: 1252926
DOI: 10.1016/0006-8993(76)90809-x -
Psychopharmacology 1987The effects of pimozide on sucrose intake were examined, in a two-bottle preference test (sucrose versus water), and in single-bottle tests at five different sucrose...
The effects of pimozide on sucrose intake were examined, in a two-bottle preference test (sucrose versus water), and in single-bottle tests at five different sucrose concentrations. In the two-bottle test, pimozide dose dependently decreased sucrose intake but increased water intake. In the single-bottle test pimozide decreased sucrose intake at low concentrations but had no effect at high concentrations. The results support a role for dopamine in mediating the rewarding effect of sucrose.
Topics: Animals; Choice Behavior; Drinking; Male; Pimozide; Rats; Sucrose
PubMed: 3110851
DOI: 10.1007/BF00177926