[Clinical effects of moderate and high doses of carpipramine (author's transl)]

An open trial of Carpipramine which chemically is a synthesis of a tricyclic antidepressant and the side chain of a butyrophrenone has been performed in 75 acute and chronic schizophrenics over a period of 30 days. The daily dose was 400-800 mg exeeding the recommendations of the manufacturer. The psychopathological changes were documented and evaluated by means of the AMP and the AMPAS-system. In 50 of the patients the trial could be completed. Only the productive symptoms and disturbance of sleep showed a significantly decreased frequency before day 10. It seems remarkable that the symptom of somatic hallucinations responded very rapidly under treatment with Carpipramine. Significant sedative or extrapyramidal side-effects were not observed; anticholinergic effects were moderate. There seems to be evidence of a slight centrally stimulating component. The substance cnnot be classified as a typical neuroleptic nor as an antidepressant drug. A differential action depending on the initial syndrome constellation is discussed.