PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGIC STUDY OF SCHIZOPHRENIA AND DEPRESSIONS

Abstract

The intravenous administration of sodium amytal has been employed in the study of various psychoses since the introduction of the method by Blackwenn¹ in 1930. He used the drug to produce rest and sleep, and on the patient's recovery from the narcosis he noted brief lucid periods. Lindemann² then demonstrated that similar, and equally prolonged, remissions could be produced by intravenous administration of the drug in doses which were insufficient to cause sleep. Striking changes were frequently produced in resistive and mute schizophrenic patients. Their attitude changed from that of resistiveness, withdrawal and seclusiveness to one of friendliness and emotional warmth. There were willingness to discuss personal problems and a desire to retain the condition produced by the drug. The structure of the delusional and hallucinatory systems was not altered, however— in contrast to the improvement in contact with the environment, with respect both to communication and to