The prediction of acute response, remission and general outcome of neuroleptic treatment in acute schizophrenic patients.

The prognosis of a clinical neuroleptic treatment was prospectively examined in 26 schizophrenic patients using a predetermined set of predictors and outcome criteria. Prognosis before treatment did not discriminate significantly between patients with good and poor outcome. Significant differences of outcome were observed between the prognostic groups, if prognosis was established after 5 days of treatment. Retrospective analysis of individual predictors indicated the following rank order: initial improvement, age, duration of symptoms before treatment, sex, subjective tolerance of the treatment. The relative weight of the individual predictor in forming the prognosis is still an open question.