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Longoperidol/Janssen, an orally administered neuroleptic with a five- to seven-day duration of effects, was clinically tested in six mental hospitals in the G.D.R. where the agent was administered to subjects of chronic to subacute schizophrenia. It was not possible for fully consistent results to be obtained in these tests. Workers at mental hospitals in Leipzig and Mühlhausen recommended that the drug should be imported, whereas those at the four other centers (Dresden, Halle, Jena, and Schwerin) did not consider the medication to be indispensable, although they were also able to observe the good effects of the agent.

Difficulties are discussed that have occurred in the medicamentous treatment of chronic patients with a so-called schizophrenic defect. The main problem was that in case of a greater drive-increasing effect component of the drug (in the concrete case "Defecton") a recrudescence of productive-schizophrenic symptoms may occur in connection with the increase in drive. The authors' own opinion (Lange) with respect to a treatening "defect", psychopathological radical of the chronic schizophrenic residual condition ("defect"), personality-dependent syndrome structure with secondary symptoms, iaterogenisation and institutiogenisation of the "defect" ("institution artefact") is discussed.

The psychotropic preparations developed and introduced in recent years are discussed in the form of a synoptical paper. The information given mainly concentrates on the attempts to find antidepressants without cardiotoxic side-effects, psychoneuroleptics without extrapyramidal side-effects and long-acting or depot preparations. The survey is restricted to psychotropics in a narrow sense (with an antipsychotic action) and to preparations that are produced in the GDR or imported or made available for the clinical testing of which the reporting clinic (Dresden) was in charge.

Until now the "neuroleptic threshold" (Haase) was considered to be the efficiency criterion of the antipsychotic effect of a neuroleptic substance and it was thought therefore that the extrapyramidal symptoms were a necessary although undesired side effect. The benodiazepine derivative Leponex developed by Sandox - Basel upsets this view because it has an excellent antipsychotic effect without creating definite extrapyramidal symptoms. It is noted for its quick soporfic effect after only a few minutes, for subdueing psychopathological productivity in a very impressive way, for acting rapidly on the "plus"-symptomatology typical of psychosis, as early as in the first days of treatment, and for its equally visible effect on the "minus"-symptoms, typical of psychosis, in the last third of an average period of treatment lasting 40 days. The clinic using Leponex (Dresden, Halle, Brandenburg-Görden) belonged to the clinical application programme of the Sandox - Basel firm. The article gives a summary of essential results and particulars about the treatment. A detailed evaluation of the case sheets which are at present being statistically reviewed will be given in the next paper.

In addition to the various possibilities of influencing lithium tremor, experience gathered from the application of beta-receptor blockers is reported, and concepts investigated on the potential genesis and working mechanisms.

The efficacy of lithium treatment in preventing relapse in phasal psychoses was tested by the re-examination of 99 patients at a Dresden clinic whose treatment had on average exceeded ten years. Results and progress were compared with those of patients starting treatment since the introduction of the lithium treatment in the year 1979. Phase or subphase frequency and duration, conditions of treatment, suicide attempts, unfitness for work, and registration as a disabled person were among the aspects considered.

Noxiptilin (Elronon) proved to be a good bipolar thymoleptic agent in the clinical test at 3 special clinics. Its stimulating effect on the psychomotor function is more pronounced than its sedative action. Therefore, in cases with the anxious, agitated depressive syndrome the additional therapy with a neuroleptic agent or a sedative tranquilizer may be favourable. N. is well tolerated even at a higher age. The side effects are the same as those of other known thymoleptics.

A report on the clinical testing of the lithium-retard medicament Contemnol (Spofa). It details the way lithium-retard treatment is objectively and subjectively superior to the earlier and still current general lithium treatment.

The authors report clinical experience from therapy with Orap-Janssen and Orap-Richter from 1968 to 1974. Excellent tolerance makes Orap particularly suitable for long-term maintenance therapy in schizophrenic psychoses. The evaluation is based on observations in 91 patients.