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Amphetamine and negative symptoms of schizophrenia

M Sanfilipo1, A Wolkin, B Angrist

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, New York Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 10010, USA.

Psychopharmacology
|January 1, 1996
PubMed

Insights

Amphetamine did not generally improve negative symptoms in schizophrenia patients. However, it may offer modest benefits for individuals with more severe negative symptoms.

Area of Science:

  • Psychiatry
  • Neuroscience
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Negative symptoms of schizophrenia significantly impair functioning.
  • Current treatments for negative symptoms are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of amphetamine in treating negative symptoms of schizophrenia.
  • To determine if baseline symptom severity influences amphetamine's effect.

Main Methods:

  • Double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
  • 37 male schizophrenia patients (DSM-III criteria).
  • Assessment using Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, Abrams and Taylor Scale, and Abnormal Involuntary Movements Scale.

Main Results:

  • Amphetamine did not significantly improve negative symptoms overall.
  • A modest reduction in negative symptoms was observed in patients with higher baseline severity.
  • No significant changes in positive symptoms were noted.

Conclusions:

  • Amphetamine is unlikely to be a primary treatment for negative symptoms in schizophrenia.
  • A potential modest benefit exists for a subset of patients with severe negative symptoms.
  • Further research is warranted to explore this specific patient subgroup.

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