Efficacy of Adjunctive Carbamazepine in the Treatment of Chronic Schizophrenia

Six treatment-resistant schizophrenic patients were given a ten-week single-blind trial of carbamazepine. Treatment resistance was determined on the basis of documented failure to respond to treatment with at least three neuroleptic drugs from two different chemical classes. The adjunctive use of carbamazepine resulted in a significant improvement of the negative symptoms of schizophrenia. These symptoms are often poorly responsive to conventional antipsychotic drugs. Therefore, controlled studies should be performed to further assess the possible efficacy of carbamazepine in schizophrenia.