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A Double-blind Study of Amitriptyline, Haloperidol, and Placebo

Paul H. Soloff, MD; Anselm George, MD; R. Swami Nathan, MD; Patricia M. Schulz, MSW; Richard F. Ulrich, MS; James M. Perel, PhD

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1986;43(7):691-697.

Abstract
• In symptomatic patients with borderline disorder, we conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of haloperidol and amitriptyline hydrochloride to test the differential efficacy of medication against the affective and schizotypal symptoms that characterize the disorder. Sixty-one patients, diagnosed by the Diagnostic Interview for Borderlines of Gunderson et al, completed randomized trials of haloperidol (n = 21), amitriptyline (n = 20), and placebo (n = 20). Medications were given in dose ranges of 4 to 16 mg for haloperidol (mean, 7.24 mg) and 100 to 175 mg for amitriptyline hydrochloride (mean, 147.62 mg) for five-week periods, with weekly self-rated and observerrated measures of mood, schizotypal symptoms, and global functioning. Haloperidol was superior to both amitriptyline and placebo on a composite measure of overall symptom severity, with no difference between amitriptyline and placebo. Haloperidol produced significant improvement on a broad spectrum of symptom patterns, including depression, anxiety, hostility, paranoid ideation, and psychoticism. In contrast, amitriptyline was minimally effective, with small gains limited to some areas of depressive content. The magnitude of change tended to be modest and was more apparent in self-rated than observer-rated measures.

Author Affiliations
From the Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh.

Footnotes
Accepted for publication Sept 9, 1985.

Reprint requests to Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 3811O'Hara St, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (Dr Soloff).

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