Amphetamine and negative symptoms of schizophrenia.

The purpose of this study was to assess further the effect of amphetamine on negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Thirty-seven schizophrenic males meeting DSM-III criteria were rated with the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, the Abrams and Taylor Scale, and the Abnormal Involuntary Movements Scale before and after double-blind administration of either amphetamine (n = 26) or placebo (n = 11). Our results indicated that amphetamine administration generally did not improve negative symptoms, even when accounting for changes in positive symptoms. However, greater baseline negative symptoms were associated with a modest diminution after amphetamine treatment. Therefore, amphetamine may modestly improve negative symptoms in those schizophrenics in whom this symptomatology is more severe.