Depot perphenazine is in clinical use in the Nordic countries, Belgium, Portugal and the Netherlands. At a conservative estimate, a quarter of a million people suffer from schizophrenia in those countries and could be treated with depot perphenazine. The total number of participants in the four trials with useful data is 313. None of the studies observed the effects of oral versus depot antipsychotic drugs. Until well conducted and reported randomised trials are undertaken clinicians will be in doubt as to the effects of perphenazine depots and people with schizophrenia should exercise their own judgement or ask to be randomised.
[A comparative study of the longacting neuroleptics perphenazin-enanthate and fluspirilene (author's transl)].
The clinical profile and side-effects of perphenazin-enanthate and fluspirilene were compared in 45 female chronic schizophrenic patients. 100 mg perphenazin-enanthate fortnightly or 8 mg fluspirilene weekly were administered. During the four months' period the psychopathological and somatic symptoms were evaluated by means of the AMP-system and the self-evaluation scale PD-S (v. Zerssen). A covariance analysis was carried out covering 12 AMP syndromes and 6 PD-S factors. The antipsychotic effect of both drugs was similar concerning the paranoid, the hallucinatory-desintegrative and the catatonic syndromes. A significant difference with regard to perphenazin-enanthate was found in the AMP-syndromes of hostility, hypochondria, and autonomic symptoms. Neither drug induced any depression. In the self-rating scale, the factors anxiousness and depressivity were also significantly lower in the perphenazin-enanthate regime. The patients under perphenazin-enanthate required a smaller amount of antiparkinsonian drugs. The more pronounced sedative effect of perphenazin-enanthate can be recommended in hostile and restless schizophrenic patients, whereas fluspirilene should be given to inactive autistic patients.