Dextro-propranolol and depressive symptoms in a schizophrenic population.

1. 36 acute schizophrenic patients were randomly assigned to dextro-propranolol or placebo in a double blind trial lasting four weeks. 2. Detailed assessments were made using the Present State Examination, the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale and the Manchester Scale before, during and at the end of the trial. 3. The authors report on the change in depressive symptomatology during the period of the trial. 4. One patient in each group became suicidal and was withdrawn at week 2 1/2. 5. With regard to ratings of depression, there was an overall reduction in mean depression scores at the end of the trial in both groups. 6. Emergence of depressive symptoms and increase in the severity of existing symptoms was seen in a small number of patients in both groups, but more so in the placebo group. 7. A depressogenic effect for d-propranolol was not observed in the population studied.