This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Reply to article  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Two-Year Results

Marvin I. Herz, MD; William M. Glazer, MD; Marcelle A. Mostert, MD; Michael A. Sheard, MD; Herman V. Szymanski, MD; Hisham Hafez, MD; Mahmud Mirza, MD; Josef Vana, MD

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1991;48(4):333-339.

Abstract
• This is a 2-year, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 101 patients, evaluating the relative efficacy of intermittent medication (given only when the patient shows early signs of relapse) compared with moderate doses of maintenance medication for stable schizophrenic outpatients. Patients were dropped from the study if they had three prodromal episodes in 1 year or if an episode lasted more than 9 weeks. Fourteen percent of patients given maintenance treatment were dropped from the study compared with 46% of intermittently treated patients. Relapse rates were 16% for patients given maintenance treatment and 30% for intermittently treated patients, a nonsignificant difference. Intermittently treated patients were receiving significantly less medication, but there were no differences found in drug side effects. There appears to be no advantage in using the intermittent approach, but we found that the use of an early intervention strategy reduced the relapse and rehospitalization rates for these patients.

Author Affiliations
From the Department of Psychiatry, State University of New York, Buffalo, (Drs Herz, Mostert, Szymanski, Mirza, and Vana); the Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, Conn (Drs Glazer and Sheard); and Nashua (NH) Brookside Hospital (Dr Hafez).

Footnotes
Accepted for publication May 31, 1990.

Dr Herz is now with the University of Rochester (NY) Medical Center.

Reprint requests to Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, 300 Crittenden Blvd, Rochester, NY 14642 (Dr Herz).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

First-generation antipsychotic long-acting injections v. oral antipsychotics in schizophrenia: systematic review of randomised controlled trials and observational studies
Haddad et al.
Br. J. Psychiatry 2009;195:S20-S28.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Review of the evidence for the long-term efficacy of atypical antipsychotic agents in the treatment of patients with schizophrenia and related psychoses
Turner and Stewart
J Psychopharmacol 2006;20:20-37.
ABSTRACT  

Practical Application of Pharmacotherapy With Long-Acting Risperidone for Patients With Schizophrenia
Keith et al.
Psychiatr. Serv. 2004;55:997-1005.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Clinical Outcome Following Neuroleptic Discontinuation in Patients With Remitted Recent-Onset Schizophrenia
Gitlin et al.
Focus 2004;2:122-130.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Clinical Outcome Following Neuroleptic Discontinuation in Patients With Remitted Recent-Onset Schizophrenia
Gitlin et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2001;158:1835-1842.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

A Program for Relapse Prevention in Schizophrenia: A Controlled Study
Herz et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 2000;57:277-283.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Including Children and Adolescents With Schizophrenia in Medication-Free Research
Kumra et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 1999;156:1065-1068.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Comparative Effectiveness of Fluphenazine Decanoate Injections Every 2 Weeks Versus Every 6 Weeks
Carpenter et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 1999;156:412-418.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

The Rationale and Ethics of Medication-Free Research in Schizophrenia
Carpenter et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1997;54:401-407.
ABSTRACT  

Relapse and Rehospitalization During Maintenance Treatment of Schizophrenia: The Effects of Dose Reduction and Family Treatment
Schooler et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1997;54:453-463.
ABSTRACT  

Clinical Risk Following Abrupt and Gradual Withdrawal of Maintenance Neuroleptic Treatment
Viguera et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1997;54:49-55.
ABSTRACT  

Schizophrenia
Kane
NEJM 1996;334:34-42.
FULL TEXT  

Behavioral vs Biochemical Prediction of Clinical Stability Following Haloperidol Withdrawal in Schizophrenia
van Kammen et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1995;52:673-678.
ABSTRACT  

Neuroleptic Withdrawal in Schizophrenic Patients: A Review of the Literature
Gilbert et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1995;52:173-188.
ABSTRACT  

Fluphenazine vs Placebo Supplementation for Prodromal Signs of Relapse in Schizophrenia
Marder et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1994;51:280-287.
ABSTRACT  

Schizophrenia
Carpenter and Buchanan
NEJM 1994;330:681-690.
FULL TEXT  

Sleep in Schizophrenic Patients On and Off Haloperidol Therapy: Clinically Stable vs Relapsed Patients
Neylan et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1992;49:643-649.
ABSTRACT