naloxone and Hallucinations

Numerous studies suggest that opiate antagonists may have antipsychotic properties. A review of the literature describing the use of naloxone to treat schizophrenic patients has shown mixed results. The three studies on naltrexone have found no benefit in controlling auditory hallucinations. We present a synopsis of these studies.

Topics: Hallucinations; Humans; Naloxone; Naltrexone; Schizophrenia

A double-blind study of repeated subcutaneous administrations of 20 mg naloxone was performed in 10 schizophrenic patients as part of a World Health Organization collaborative project. No clinically obvious treatment effects were observed. None of the analyzed psychopathological symptoms, including hallucinations and unusual thought content, showed a distinct improvement during the 4 consecutive days of naloxone treatment. A slight but statistically significant decrease of symptomatology was found shortly after placebo injection on the first 2 days of treatment. This effect was not present following naloxone treatment. These findings are discussed in view of the hypothesis that increased endorphin activity contributes to the symptomatology of schizophrenic syndromes.

Topics: Adult; Cognition Disorders; Female; Hallucinations; Humans; Injections; Male; Middle Aged; Naloxone; Schizophrenia

Topics: Clinical Trials as Topic; Double-Blind Method; Hallucinations; Humans; Naloxone; Schizophrenia

Topics: Adult; Bipolar Disorder; Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale; Double-Blind Method; Female; Hallucinations; Humans; Injections, Subcutaneous; Male; Middle Aged; Naloxone; Schizophrenia

In a placebo-controlled, double-blind crossover study of 14 male chronic schizophrenic patients, high doses of the opiate antagonist naloxone were given intravenously. Hallucinations measured on a verbal-report scale were significantly decreased after naloxone administration. The authors suggest that this apparent action of naloxone is mediated by central opiate receptors and that it may result from an interaction between central endorphin systems and central catecholaminergic neurons.

Topics: Adult; Chronic Disease; Clinical Trials as Topic; Double-Blind Method; Hallucinations; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Naloxone; Placebos; Random Allocation; Receptors, Opioid; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenia, Paranoid

Topics: Adult; Aged; Auditory Perception; Clinical Trials as Topic; Double-Blind Method; Hallucinations; Humans; Middle Aged; Naloxone; Placebos; Schizophrenia

Topics: Adult; Female; Hallucinations; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Naloxone; Schizophrenia

Endogenous opiate-like peptides (endorphins) are putative neuroregulators located throughout the mammalian brainstem. There is some evidence for their role in pain, stress, and affect. We report that the opiate antagonist, naloxone, alters some schizophrenic symptoms. In a double-blind, cross-over study, naloxone produced decreases in auditory hallucinations in some schizophrenic patients. This finding supports the hypothesis that the endorphins may play a roll in modulating hallucinations in a highly selected subgroup of chronically hallucinating schizophrenic patients.

Topics: Adult; Chronic Disease; Clinical Trials as Topic; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Double-Blind Method; Endorphins; Hallucinations; Humans; Male; Naloxone; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenia, Paranoid; Time Factors

On the basis of the hypothesis that the opiate-like neuropeptides, such as beta-endorphin, may be involved in the etiology of schizophrenic symptoms, naloxone 1,2 mg and placebo were administered intravenously to 8 schizophrenic patients, using a double-blind, crossover design. Naloxone was not found to be different from placebo in effecting schizophrenic symptoms, including hallucinations and delusions.

Topics: Adult; Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale; Clinical Trials as Topic; Double-Blind Method; Hallucinations; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Naloxone; Placebos; Schizophrenia

In 20 psychotic patients with frequent hallucinations and/or actual delusional experience a possible antipsychotic action of the opiate antagonist naloxone (N-allyl-noroxymorphone) was investigated, using a double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over design. 18 of these patients were not treated with neuroleptic drugs; 13 suffered from an acute episode of schizophrenia. Psychopathological changes were assessed by the use of the IMPS-scale and of a symptom-specific rating scale (VBS). Intravenous injection of naloxone (in most cases 4.0 mg) induced a reduction of psychotic symptomatology (especially hallucinations) in the majority of patients. Compared with placebo this effect reached statistical significance within 2-7 hours after injection. From this result a possible involvement of endogenous ligands of opiate receptors in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia may be concluded.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Antipsychotic Agents; Clinical Trials as Topic; Double-Blind Method; Female; Hallucinations; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Naloxone; Placebos; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psychotic Disorders; Time Factors

In a single-blind pilot study 0.4 mg naloxone i.v. was found temporarily to reduce or abolish auditory hallucinations in four cases of chronic schizophrenia whereas saline was without effect. In one of these patients there was a similar reversal also of her visual hallucinations. Two additional cases who denied hearing voices before the injections, reported no subjective effects.

Topics: Adult; Clinical Trials as Topic; Drug Evaluation; Female; Hallucinations; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Naloxone; Schizophrenia

Fourteen schizophrenic patients and five patients with affective disorders were given naloxone (0.4 to 10 milligrams) or placebo intravenously in a double-blind fashion. Physicians' ratings of hallucinations, mannerisms and posturing, conceptual disorganization, psychosis, and mood did not change significantly. A single item, unusual thought content, improved significantly on the naloxone day compared to the placebo day. There was no improvement in mood in affectively ill patients rated either by themselves or by physicians. Naloxone did not markedly improve any patient studied, which suggests that the acute blockade of opiate receptors is not associated with global improvement in psychotic symptomatology.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Affective Symptoms; Behavior; Chronic Disease; Clinical Trials as Topic; Double-Blind Method; Female; Hallucinations; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Naloxone; Schizophrenia

The authors treated 12 schizophrenic patients who had overt hallucinatory symptoms with intravenously administered naloxone hydrochloride, a narcotic antagonist purported to have antihallucinatory properties. They found no evidence of the effectiveness of naloxone in preventing hallucinations over that of placebo when administered in a randomized, double-blind fashion.

Topics: Adult; Clinical Trials as Topic; Double-Blind Method; Drug Evaluation; Hallucinations; Humans; Injections, Intravenous; Male; Middle Aged; Naloxone; Pilot Projects; Placebos; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenic Psychology

The specific narcotic antagonist naloxone (0.4 milligram) was given intravenously to seven chronic schizophrenics who reported that they had very frequent auditory hallucinations. Saline solution was used as a placebo. The coded study did not reveal any effect of naloxone on hallucinations or on global psychopathology.

Topics: Adult; Chronic Disease; Female; Hallucinations; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Naloxone; Schizophrenia

Topics: Adult; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Electroencephalography; Evoked Potentials; Female; Hallucinations; Humans; Naloxone; Neurocognitive Disorders; Reaction Time; Self Mutilation

Topics: Brain; Endorphins; Female; Hallucinations; Humans; Lithium; Middle Aged; Naloxone; Visual Perception

Topics: Adult; Dyskinesia, Drug-Induced; Hallucinations; Humans; Male; Naloxone; Schizophrenia, Paranoid

Topics: Aged; Female; Hallucinations; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Naloxone; Parkinson Disease

Intoxicated persons appear frequently in substance abuse centers and in general hospital settings. The severity of their condition ranges from mild impairment to coma or delirium. The prominent features of intoxication with the major classes of abused drugs are described. Staff responses to intoxication are discussed. Guidelines are presented for systematic management of this condition.

Topics: Arrhythmias, Cardiac; Delusions; Diazepam; Hallucinations; Hallucinogens; Humans; Hypnotics and Sedatives; Naloxone; Narcotics; Nonprescription Drugs; Phencyclidine; Poisoning; Seizures; Solvents; Stimulation, Chemical

A case of pentazocine induced hallucinations which responded to treatment with Naloxone is reported.

Topics: Adolescent; Femoral Fractures; Fracture Fixation, Internal; Hallucinations; Humans; Male; Naloxone; Pentazocine

Topics: Amygdala; Animals; Behavior, Animal; Cats; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Evoked Potentials; Female; Gyrus Cinguli; Hallucinations; Humans; Limbic System; Male; Naloxone; Phencyclidine; Septum Pellucidum

Since 1975, different morphinomimetic peptides have been isolated from hypophyseal-hypothalamic extracts: the pentapeptides methionine-enkephalin and leucine-enkephalin, and the longer peptides alpha-, beta- and gamma-endorphin. The primary structure of most of these peptides is also present in that of beta-lipotropin. The morphinomimetic properties of endorphins can be blocked with opiate-antagonists. In rats, moreover, the endorphins influence behavior which cannot be blocked with opiate antagonists. On the basis of the hypothesis that hyperactivity of endorphin systems may be involved in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia and manic syndromes, the effect of opiate antagonists on psychotic and manic symptoms has been examined in a number of clinical studies in the past few years. A transient therapeutic effect has been demonstrated in about 30% of the patients so treated. Our own double-blind controlled study of 5 schizophrenic and 5 manic patients in the context of a World Health Organization project failed to reveal any therapeutic effect after subcutaneous injection of 20 mg naloxone. The possible reasons of the negative results are discussed.

Topics: Affective Disorders, Psychotic; Bipolar Disorder; Double-Blind Method; Endorphins; Hallucinations; Humans; Naloxone; Schizophrenia

Topics: Double-Blind Method; Endorphins; Hallucinations; Humans; Naloxone; Narcotic Antagonists; Schizophrenia

Topics: Adult; Female; Hallucinations; Hearing; Humans; Naloxone; Schizophrenia

Topics: Adult; Anxiety; Chronic Disease; Hallucinations; Humans; Injections, Intravenous; Male; Middle Aged; Naloxone; Placebos; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Schizophrenia; Tranquilizing Agents