THE EFFECTS OF CARPHENAZINE, TRIFLUOPERAZINE AND CHLORPROMAZINE ON WARD BEHAVIOR, PHYSIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONING AND PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST SCORES IN CHRONIC SCHIZOPHRENIC PATIENTS

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Abstract
The purpose of the present study was to explore the differential effects of 3 phenothiazine drugs on psychological and automic functioning in relation to improvement reflected by behavioral ratings of ward evaluation teams. Eighteen chronic schizophrenic male patients, 6 in each of 3 drug groups, were evaluated at 4 periods by teams of observers and interviewers and were administered psychological tests and a battery of autonomic measures. The 3 drugs, trifluoperazine, carphenazine and chlorpromazine, were not differentially effective in these small groups with respect to improvement in functioning as observed by nursing personnel on the ward and psychiatric interview teams, or as measured by performance on psychological tests and tasks. Some minor differences among drug groups were noted, as, for example, an increase in excitability or irritability observed in the trifluoperazine group only during the 12th week which coincided with heightened diastolic blood pressure for this group. Although no evidence emerged from this study to suggest that any given drug was more effective than another for the middle-aged chronic male schizophrenic patient, the samples used were too small to permit generalizations to other groups. The major finding was that all 3 drugs produced considerable improvement in functioning in terms of performance on psychological tests and reduced severity of symptoms of psychiatric illness observed by nurses on the ward and by psychiatric rating teams in interview situations.

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