BENZQUINAMIDE : A PRELIMINARY REPORT
Abstract
A sampleof 20 psychoticpatients,20-64 years of age, was randomly selected from a âmaximum security ward.â Periods of hospitalization ranged from 5-17 years. They had received the gamut of chemotherapy, paramedical therapies and innumerable ECTs; 2 patients were lobotomized. In 70% of the group, the conspicuous targetsymptom-complex consisted of gross delusional ideas with combative acting out behavior. The patients were used as their own controls so that improvement could be compared or contrasted with their background of historical and clinical information. Diagnoses: 17 schizophrenic reactions, (9 chronic undifferentiated, 3 hebephrenic, 2 catatonic, 2 schizo-affective, 1 paranoid), 3 chronic brain syndrome, convulsive disorder with psychosis. All were combative to a varying degree and manifested a few or more of the following: grossly delusional ideas of a persecutory nature; overt sexual seductiveness toward the doctors, nurses or other patients; denudativeness; overt auditory and! or visual hallucinations; unpredictable episodes of excitement with destructive behavior (destroying furniture, seclusion doors), âintentionalâ incontinence. Control of situational variables was attempted by avoiding any change in the psychiatric and nursing staff, ward milieu, doctorsâ and nursing rounds. Each patient received a complete physical and neurological examination, routine hemogram, urinalysis, chest x-ray, and liver function tests. The clinical