[Clinical classification of neuroleptics. Critical study and current prospects]

Clinical classifications of neuroleptics constitute a particularity of European clinical psychopharmacology. However, the importance of evaluation scales in American psychiatry may also lead to an "implicit" clinical classification, since these drugs do not have the same effects upon the same patient. The main European classifications are described and some of actual clinic of neuroleptics are criticised, in particular the concepts of sedative, antipsychotic, antidelusional or antihallucinatory action. We have pointed out three clinical actions which should be selected in a present classification of neuroleptics; a) angolytic effect i.e. specific antianxiety action upon psychotic anxiety, often initiating the therapeutic processes; b) psychic reorganization effect that is the resultant, in schizophrenia, of the antiproductive and antideficitary effects; c) thymoleptic effect, i.e. reductive action upon the strength of passionate insistence and vindication in paranoïac disorders.