TY - JOUR
T1 - Haloperidol plasma levels and clinical response
T2 - A therapeutic window relationship
AU - Van Putten, Theodore
AU - Marder, Stephen R.
AU - Mintz, Jim
AU - Poland, Russell E.
PY - 1992
Y1 - 1992
N2 - Objective: The purpose of the study was to assess the relationship between plasma haloperidol and clinical response. Method: Sixty-nine newly admitted drug-free schizophrenic men were randomly assigned to receive haloperidol, 5, 10, or 20 mg daily for 4 weeks, and clinical response was measured at the end of the fixed-dose period. Haloperidol was assayed by a sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay. Results: The authors found a curvilinear relationship between clinical response and plasma haloperidol during fixed-dose treatment, with an apparent optimum between 5 and 12 ng/ml. When plasma levels above 12 ng/ml were lowered to the 5-12 ng/ml range, all patients improved to varying degrees and no patient deteriorated. When plasma levels of nonresponders within this therapeutic window were raised above 12 ng/ml (as in routine practice), they, on balance, deteriorated in that they became more dysphoric. With the 20-mg dose, half the patients had plasma levels above 12 ng/ml. Conclusions: In this sample of newly admitted schizophrenic men, optimal clinical response occurred with a plasma haloperidol range of 5-12 ng/ml.
AB - Objective: The purpose of the study was to assess the relationship between plasma haloperidol and clinical response. Method: Sixty-nine newly admitted drug-free schizophrenic men were randomly assigned to receive haloperidol, 5, 10, or 20 mg daily for 4 weeks, and clinical response was measured at the end of the fixed-dose period. Haloperidol was assayed by a sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay. Results: The authors found a curvilinear relationship between clinical response and plasma haloperidol during fixed-dose treatment, with an apparent optimum between 5 and 12 ng/ml. When plasma levels above 12 ng/ml were lowered to the 5-12 ng/ml range, all patients improved to varying degrees and no patient deteriorated. When plasma levels of nonresponders within this therapeutic window were raised above 12 ng/ml (as in routine practice), they, on balance, deteriorated in that they became more dysphoric. With the 20-mg dose, half the patients had plasma levels above 12 ng/ml. Conclusions: In this sample of newly admitted schizophrenic men, optimal clinical response occurred with a plasma haloperidol range of 5-12 ng/ml.
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U2 - 10.1176/ajp.149.4.500
DO - 10.1176/ajp.149.4.500
M3 - Article
C2 - 1554036
AN - SCOPUS:0026538627
VL - 149
SP - 500
EP - 505
JO - American Journal of Psychiatry
JF - American Journal of Psychiatry
SN - 0002-953X
IS - 4
ER -