[Results of treatment with clozapine in schizophrenic adolescents]

Abstract

The indications for administering clozapine to 21 adolescent inpatients with schizophrenia were insufficient response to other neuroleptic agents, likelihood of psychotic symptoms becoming chronic and extensive extrapyramidal side-effects from other neuroleptic agents. Marked improvement in or complete disappearance of most of the remaining psychopathological symptoms was seen in 11 of the 21 subjects, with at least some improvement seen in an additional 6. Vegetative side-effects such as daytime weariness, dizziness, orthostatic hypotonia and hypersalivation were usually transient. Deviations from the normal range of values for the hematological and serum enzyme values assessed were of no clinical significance and occurred no more frequently than with other neuroleptic agents, and the values returned to normal when treatment was continued. On the whole, clozapine is a useful addition to the group of drugs available for treating adolescents with schizophrenia.