Valproate Treatment of Acute Alcohol Hallucinosis: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study

AIMS: The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of valproate (Depakine-Chrono) versus placebo for the treatment of acute alcohol hallucinosis. METHODS: 10 days' randomized, double-blind, parallel study was conducted; 40 patients with an ICD-10 diagnosis of acute alcohol hallucinosis were randomized to valproate (Depakine-Chrono) 3000 mg/day (n = 20) or placebo (n = 20). The primary efficacy measure was the Clinical Global Improvement (CGI) and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), subscale for hallucinosis. RESULTS: Valproate-treated patients demonstrated a greater improvement than placebo-treated patients in CGI (P < 0.001) and PANSS subscale for verbal hallucinosis (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Valproate is effective in the treatment of acute hallucinosis and is generally well tolerated.