A double-blind comparison of the effects of haloperidol and cis(Z)-clopenthixol in senile dementia.

The therapeutic effects in senile dementia of haloperidol and cis(Z)-clopenthixol were compared in a double-blind, double-dummy clinical 8-week study in 47 demented patients after wash-out periods of 3 weeks or less. Forty patients, most of whom received 0.5 mg haloperidol or 5 mg cis(Z)-clopenthixol, completed the study in which assessments with the geriatric rating scales of Gottfries-Cronholm and Crichton in addition to CGI were done at weeks--3, 0, 1, 2, 4, and 8. With the Gottfries-Cronholm Scale few significant changes from week 0 were seen in the two groups of patients. Significant deteriorations at weeks 1 and 8 in the haloperidol group were, however, registered. The only significant difference between the two groups of patients regarded motor activity which was most positively influenced by cis(Z)-clopenthixol. Accordingly, most results suggesting a difference between the two test drugs were in the favour of cis(Z)-clopenthixol. With the Crichton and the CGi scales changes in the over-all impression of the patients were very few. Side effects were mild and transient.