[Extrapyamidal side-effects with 1-day dosage of haloperidol (author's transl)]

In a double blind study, 30 in-patients (14 females, 16 males, ranging in the age from 18 to 55) suffering from an acute paranoid-hallucinatory syndrome, were treated with haloperidol for 30 days. 13 patients (3-day group) received 3 times a day 3 mg haloperidol (at 8 a.m., 12 a.m,, 5 p.m.) and 17 patients received 9 mg haloperidol only in the evening (9 p.m., 1-day group). Placebo instead of medication was given at the same time to the control group. Every 5 days the following assessments were performed: AMP 3 and 4, Webster and Simpson rating scales, handwriting tests according to Haase and psychometric tests according to Schoppe. In the 1-day dosage group the amount of anticholinergics were significantly reduced (2.4 mg biperiden/day compared to 4.6 mg/day in the 3-day group). The 1 daily application of neuroleptics is useful in treating acute psychosis. This treatment schedule has the advantages of sedation during the night, reduction of side-effects during the day, simpler and cheaper application form and induction of social activity.