Test therapy in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorders with low dose fluspirilene.

ABSTRACT

1. The present double-blind study was designed to determine under three different conditions (0.5 mg, 1.0 mg, 1.5 mg per week) whether response or non-response within a two-week test-therapy predicts clinical outcome after 6 weeks of fluspirilene treatment in generalized anxiety disorders. 2. 106 outpatients entered the study. The period of observation was 6 weeks. 3. Confirming previous reports of their study group the authors found a significant reduction of anxiety in all treatment groups. However, this effect was mainly observed with the highest dose administered. The main finding of the study is that there is a significant correlation between initial response after 2 weeks of test therapy and therapeutic success after 6 weeks in fluspirilene treatment of generalized anxiety disorders. 4. Decreases in somatic anxiety, psychic anxiety and Hamilton-total-score within the first 2 weeks correlate with the baseline-to-week 6 decreases of the corresponding item and with the global clinical assessment of efficacy after 6 weeks. 5. By means of test therapy patients with an unfavourable outcome are identified and, if medication is discontinued, are prevented from an ineffective longterm treatment.