Experience in using sulpiride in non-psychotic endogenous depressive-hypochondriacal disorders

Abstract

Objective: to study the efficacy of sulpiride in different types of non-psychotic types of endogenous depressive-hypochondriacal syndrome. Patients and methods. Forty-seven patients (36 women and 11 men) with a depressive episode (n = 15), recurrent depressive disorder (n = 14), and slowly progressive schizophrenia (SPS) (n = 18) were examined clinically and using the psychometric scales: the Clinical Global Impression Scale; Montgomery-Esberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS), and Udvalg for Kliniske Undersшgelser Side Effect Rating Scale. Sulpiride was given in an initial dose of50—100 mg/day; the dose was, if required, increased up to 400—600 mg/day. Results. After 2 months of treatment in the patients with affective disorders, the MADRS and HARS scores showed reductions from 28.7+2.3 to 14.3+1.7 and from 14.8+2.1 to 7.4+2.7, respectively. The reductions in the symptoms of depression and anxiety were 50.2 and 50.0%, respectively. In SPS, the mean MADRS and HARS scores decreased from 21.4+3.7 to 13.7ё1.8 and from 10.2+1.5 to 6.4+3.2, respectively. There were generally 40 and 37.3% reductions in the symptoms of depression and anxiety, respectively. Conclusion. In patients with affective disorders, the efficacy of sulpiride is predominantly due to its antidepressant and anti-anxiety activities in depressive-hypochondriacal syndrome and to its antipsychotic and activating activities in SPS.