Comparison of clozapine and haloperidol effects on positive and negative symptoms of chronic schizophrenia

There are controversy about the advantages and disadvantages of new psychiatric drugs, particularly about clozapine in comparison to other drugs. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of clozapine and haloperidol on positive and negative symptoms of chronic schizophrenic patients hospitalized in Sina Psychiatric Center, Chahrmahal and Bakhtiary province, Iran. Sixty schizophrenic patients were divided into two equal groups. One group received clozapine (200 mg/day) and the second group received haloperidol (15 mg /day) for 6 weeks. Symptoms were measured using Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS). Clozapine was better than haloperidol in decreasing positive and negative symptoms (P<0.05) and clozapine was better than haloperidol in treating positive symptoms in females (P<0.05). There was no evidence of any superior efficacy of clozapine or haloperidol in treating negative symptoms in females. Clozapine was better than haloperidol in decreasing positive and negative symptoms and should be considered more for the treatment of chronic schizophrenia.