Fluphenazine Decanoate, Oral Fluphenazine, and Placebo in Treatment of Remitted Schizophrenics

This study of patients with remitted chronic schizophrenia in an aftercare clinic was designed to test whether such patients require maintenance antipsychotic medication. A previous report showed that the group receiving active medication, fluphenazine decanoate and oral fluphenazine, had far fewer relapses; but the former group had a high incidence of akinesia. This present report presents rating scale data substantiating these two findings: (1) patients terminated on clinical grounds because of a schizophrenic relapse showed rating scale changes consistent with that diagnosis; and (2) the patients removed due to severe akinesia showed a worsening on items selected a priori to measure akinesia, and when compared to survivors on the same items, showed significant differences--thus confirming our clinical judgments.