Antipsychotic effect of buprenorphine in schizophrenia

Abstract
The antipsychotic potency of the partial opiate agonist buprenorphine was evaluated in 10 neuroleptic-free schizophrenic patients suffering from frequent hallucinations, delusions, and severe formal thought disorders. Buprenorphine had a pronounced antipsychotic effect, which lasted about 4 hours, in patients with schizophreniform disorders (N=4) and paranoid schizophrenia (N=3).