Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry

In an open labeled study, two fixed doses of nimodipine(45mg and 90mg daily) were added to the usual antipsychotic drug treatment(Haloperidol ; mean dose=25mg.day) in 20 male chronic schizophrenics for 5 weeks. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the therapeutic effects and the effect on the changes of plasma homovanillic acid(HVA) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid(5-HIAA) levels. The results were as follows : 1) Total BPRS score and thought cluster, paranoid cluster subscores showed linear decreasing trend over the course of the study(P<0.05). Especially the thought cluster and paranoid cluster subscores were significant difference between 45mg and 90mg dose of nimodipine(P<0.05). The improvement rates were 45.45% of 90mg and 11.11% of 45mg, but there was no significant difference between the 45mg and 90mg dose of nimodipine. 2) The scores of extrapyramidal symptoms and adverse events-somatic symptoms showed a linear decreasing trends over the course of study. 3) The changes in the mean plasma HVA and 5-HIAA concentrations by the dosages and durations of combining of nimodipine were not statistically significant. Nimodipine has a possibility as an adjunctive agent for treatment resistant schizophrenics, elderly patients and liable patients for the side effects to usual antipsychotic drugs. So we suggest that the dosage of nimodipine must be above 90mg/day in the treatment of schizophrenia.

Keywords Calcium channel blocker;Plasma HVA and 5-JIAA;Treatment resistant schizophrenics.