0000000000219433
AUTHOR
Erkka Syvälahti
Two-year outcome in first-episode psychosis treated according to an integrated model. Is immediate neuroleptisation always needed?
SummaryIn this multicentre study the two-year outcome of two groups of consecutive patients (total N = 106) with first-episode functional non-affective psychosis, both treated according to the ‘need-specific Finnish model’, which stresses teamwork, patient and family participation and basic psychotherapeutic attitudes, was compared. No alternative treatment facilities were available in the study sites. The two study groups differed in the use of neuroleptics: three of the sites (the experimental group) used a minimal neuroleptic regime whilst the other three (the control group) used neuroleptics according to the usual practice. Total time spent in hospital, occurrence of psychotic symptoms …
Integrated Treatment Model for First-Contact Patients with a Schizophrenia-Type Psychosis: The Finnish API Project
This paper presents the background, rationale, set-up and first results of the Finnish API study, whose aim was to investigate the use of a psychotherapeutically oriented and familycentred treatment model for acute psychosis in different treatment settings, and especially the role of neuroleptic drug treatment when working along the principles of the integrated treatment model. Six psychiatric catchment areas from different parts of the country participated by collecting a material of 136 first-contact patients with a schizophrenia-type psychosis. More than half of the patients received a formal diagnosis from the schizophrenia group at the initial examination, and more than one-third a dia…
Effects of clozapine metabolites and chronic clozapine treatment on rat brain GABAA receptors
Abstract Similarly to clozapine, a clozapine metabolite, N -desmethylclozapine, but not clozapine N -oxide, antagonized brain γ-aminobutyric acid type A (GABA A ) receptors at high micromolar concentrations. However, daily subcutaneous injections of clozapine (10 and 25 mg/kg) and haloperidol (0.5 mg/kg) for 14 days failed to alter the modulation by GABA of rat cerebrocortical and cerebellar benzodiazepine ([ 3 H]flunitrazepam) or convulsant ( t -[ 35 S]bicyclophosphorothionate) binding sites of the GABA A receptor. The results thus suggest that the GABA A receptor antagonism exerted by chronic in vivo clozapine treatment is weak as compared to this treatment's actions on certain monoamine …