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Early Neuroleptic Intervention in Schizophrenia: Are Prodromal Symptoms Valid Predictors of Relapse?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 August 2018

W. Gaebel*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf
U. Frick
Affiliation:
Biometric Centre for Therapy Studies, Munich
W. Köpcke
Affiliation:
Department of Informatics and Biomathematics, Wilhelms University, Münster
M. Linden
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Free University, Berlin
P. Müller
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich
F. Müller-Spahn
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf
A. Pietzcker
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Free University, Berlin
J. Tegeler
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf
*
Psychiatrische Klinik der Heinrich Heine Universität, Bergische Landstraße 2, D-40605 Düsseldorf, Germany

Extract

All recently completed controlled two-year studies on intermittent, early neuroleptic intervention treatment have failed to compare favourably with studies on maintenance treatment concerning relapse prevention. The reason for this failure is still unclear. Therefore the implicit, but as yet unproven, hypothesis that a relapse can be predicted from prodromal symptoms was tested from the perspective of our German multicentre study. Results demonstrate that this is not the case. Possible reasons for and clinical implications of this negative finding are discussed.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © 1993 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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