A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF OXYPERTINE AND TRIFLUOPERAZINE IN CHRONIC SCHIZOPHRENIA--A NEW APPLICATION OF THE WING RATING SCALE.
Thirty-five chronic schizophrenic women patients completed a sixteen-week double-blind within-patient comparison of a new non-phenothiazine compound, oxypertine (WIN. 18,501), with trifluoperazine (Stelazine). Changes in four typical symptoms and in 12 behaviour characteristics were assessed by a new application of the Wing rating scale.

A significant difference was found in the number of patients responding favourably to one of the treatments as opposed to the other in one symptom (Poverty of Speech) and in five behaviour characteristics (Slowness of Movement, Leisure Interests, Laughing and Talking to Self, Posturing and Mannerisms). In all these cases the differences were in favour of oxypertine. Three of the five behaviour characteristics had been shown to have a high correlation in a previous, independent study. Eight out of twelve patients who continued anti-Parkinsonian medication during the trial had significantly less severe ratings while under trifluoperazine in one symptom (Incoherence of Speech), although no such difference was found for the patients as a whole.

The Wing classification technique was shown to be stable throughout the trial, and the improvements in patients' ratings after oxypertine treatment were not significantly different in the Wing diagnostic subgroups. Patients classified into the three more seriously ill subgroups had significantly longer mean periods in hospital before the trial.

Three cases of vomiting, two of giddiness, one increase in Parkinsonism and a tendency to cogwheel rigidity in one patient were noted during oxypertine treatment.

Biochemical tests showed that 13 patients had abnormally high transaminase values at least once during the trial. Ten of these also had raised alkaline phosphatase results.

It is concluded that oxypertine may be superior to trifluoperazine when considered as an adjunct to rehabilitative therapy and that the drug merits further appraisal in the treatment of chronic schizophrenia.