Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry

Objective：To evaluate the clinical efficacy of adjuvant sertraline treatment in chronic schizophrenic patients, we carried out a double-blind, placebo controlled study.

Method：Thirty six inpatients who fulfilled DSM-III-R criteria for chronic schizophrenia were randomly assigned to sertraline and placebo groups in a double-blinded fashion. A history of at least 2 years of illness and at least six months of hospitalization were prerequisities for inclusion in the study. Patients were received sertraline 50mg or placebo for 8 weeks in addition to their routine haloperidol regimen. Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale(PANSS), Clinical Global Impression(CGI), Simpson-Angus Scale(S-A) were evaluated at 5 points；baseline, 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks of treatment.

Results：The groups were controlled for age, gender, and length of illness. There were no significant differences in three PANSS factros(positive, negative, general), CGI, and S-A scale scores at any between sertaline and placebo treatment.

Conclusion：This placebo controlled study showed no significant effects of sertraline on negative and positive symptoms in chronic schizophrenic patients.

Keywords Chronic schizophrenia;Double-blind;Sertraline;Haloperidol.