Study to establish the indication for the selective S2 antagonist ritanserin.

In our open study, ritanserin was shown to be an antidepressant low in side effects with a rapid onset of action. In contrast to the results reported by Ceulemanns, patients suffering from melancholia could also be treated with ritanserin. Similar to amitriptyline, ritanserin is able to provoke psychotic symptoms in schizophrenic patients despite the absence of an anticholinergic action. Ritanserin appears to improve mood and subjective well-being of depressive schizophrenic patients as supplementary therapy to a highly potent neuroleptic. This is consistent with the experience of Gelders. The relevance of the results described is restricted by the fact that the patients received an above-average intensive medical care besides the pharmacotherapy. In addition, the expectations of the patients with regard to ritanserin were extremely high and they expected an above-average effect of the ritanserin treatment.