Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-vfjqv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T20:41:37.423Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

(Des-Tyr1)-γ-endorphin in the treatment of schizophrenia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

Rahul Manchanda
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Charing Cross Hospital Medical School, London
Steven R. Hirsch*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Charing Cross Hospital Medical School, London
*
1Address for correspondence: Professor S. R. Hirsch, Department of Psychiatry, Charing Cross Hospital Medical School, Fulham Palace Road, London W6 8RF.

Synopsis

Inj. (Des-Tyr1)-γ-endorphin was used in a pilot study over a period of 12 days for the treatment of 11 schizophrenics and the assessments were carried out using standardized rating scales. Only 2 patients showed an improvement. Euphoria and excitement were observed in 3 patients. The findings are discussed in contrast to the earlier reports of a dramatic improvement with the compound.

Type
Brief Communication
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1981

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

de Wied, D.Kovacs, G. L., Bohus, B., Van Ree, J. M. & Greven, H. M. (1978). Neuroleptic activity of the neuropeptide beta-LPH (Des-Tyr1)-γ-endorphin. European Journal of Pharmacology 49, 427436.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Emrich, H. M., Zandig, M., Kissling, W., Dirlich, G., Zerssen, D. V. & Herz, A. (1980). Des-Tyrosyl-γ-endorphin in schizophrenia: a double blind trial in 13 patients. Pharmakopsychiatrie 13, 290298.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Johnstone, E. C., Crow, T. J., Frith, C. D., Carney, M. W. P. & Price, J. S. (1978). Mechanism of the antipsychotic effect in the treatment of acute schizophrenia. Lancet i, 848851.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jorgensen, A., Fog, R. & Vfilis, B. (1979). Synthetic enkephalin analogue in treatment of schizophrenia. Lancet i, 935.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Knights, A., Okasha, M. S., Salih, M. A. & Hirsch, S. R. (1979). Depressive and extrapyramidal symptoms and clinical effects: a trial of fluphenazine versus flupenthixol in maintenance of schizophrenic out-patients. British Journal of Psychiatry 135, 515523.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Knights, A., Hirsch, S. R. & Platt, S. D. (1980). Measurement of clinical change as a function of brief admission to hospital: a controlled study. British Journal of Psychiatry 137, 170180.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Krawiecka, M., Goldberg, D. & Vaughan, M. (1977). A standardised psychiatric assessment scale for rating chronic psychotic patients. Acta psychiatrica scandinavica 55, 299308.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Overall, J. E. & Gorham, D. R. (1972). The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. Psychological Reports 10, 799812.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Verhoeven, W. M. A., Van Praag, H. M., Botter, P. A., Sunier, A., van Ree, J. M. & de Wied, D. (1978). Des-Tyr-γ-endorphin in schizophrenia. Lancet i, 10461047.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Verhoeven, W. M. A., Van Praag, H. M., van Ree, J. M. & de Wied, D. (1979). Improvement of schizophrenic patients by treatment with Des-Tyr-γ-endorphin. Archives of General Psychiatry 36, 294302.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wing, J. K., Cooper, J. E. & Sartorius, N. (1974). The Measurement and Classification of Psychiatric Symptoms. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge.Google Scholar
Wing, J. K., Nixon, J. M., Mann, S. A. & Leff, J. P. (1977). Reliability of the PSE (ninth edition) used in a population study. Psychological Medicine 7, 505516.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yorkston, N. J., Zaki, S. A., Malik, M. K. U.,Morrison, R. C. & Havard, C. W. H. (1974). Propranolol in the control of schizophrenic symptoms. British Medical Journal iv, 633635.CrossRefGoogle Scholar