Addition of lithium to haloperidol in non-affective, antipsychotic non-responsive schizophrenia: A double blind, placebo controlled, parallel design clinical trial.

Compared the therapeutic effects of the addition of Li or placebo to haloperidol in 21 seriously ill state hospital patients with schizophrenia who had not responded to previous trials of conventional antipsychotic medication. During a baseline of 6 wks, Ss were switched to a stable dose of haloperidol and then randomized to receive either Li or placebo in addition to haloperidol for 8 wks. Improvement in symptoms correlated with the nonblind adjustment of antipsychotic dose but not with Li or placebo treatment. Side effects ratings did not differ between the 2 groups. Thus, combined treatment afforded no advantage over treatment with haloperidol alone. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)