Loxapine versus thioridazine in the treatment of organic psychosis

Abstract

Two double-blind trials comparing loxapine and thioridazine were conducted in hospitalized adult males diagnosed as having symptoms of chronic psychosis associated with organic brain syndrome or mental retardation. The drugs were administered orally in the ranges of loxapine 10--150 mg/day and thioridazine 150--750 mg/day for 13 weeks. In the first trial loxapine was found to be generally superior to thioridazine on the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, Nurses Observation Scale for In-Patient Evaluation and Clinical Global Impression. The second trial failed to confirm this superiority. The heterogeneity of diagnostic categories included may explain the discrepancy. Extra-pyramidal symptoms and sedative effects were common to both groups and consistent with the pharmacologic profiles of the study drugs.