Pimozide versus Haloperidol in acute schizophrenia. A double blind controlled study.

Thirty acutely hospitalized schizophrenic patients were treated under double blind condition with either haloperidol (40-60 mg/day) or pimozide (40-60 mg/day) for 30 days. Ten patients in the pimozide and eleven in the haloperidol group showed a very good or good clinical response. There were no definite differences of treatment results as assessed by the Global Clinical Impression. Both groups showed a statistically significant decrease of the global scores of the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (p less than 0.01). There was a significant decrease of affective bluntedness and anergia in the pimozide but not in the haloperidol group. Extrapyramidal side effects were more pronounced in patients on pimozide who therefore needed more anticholinergic drugs. There was no consistent correlation between drug serum levels and global scores or single factors of the BPRS in either treatment group. It is concluded that pimozide in dose ranges from 40-60 mg has powerful antipsychotic properties indistinguishable from those of haloperidol but exerts stronger extrapyramidal side effects.