[Effect of nifedipine on the effectiveness of antipsychotic therapy in schizophrenia].

An aim of the study was to assess an influence of nifedipine in combination with haloperidol on antipsychotic activity and cognitive disturbances in comparison to the monotherapy with haloperidol and quetiapine. Sixty-two patients with ICD-10 diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia, chronic course, and undiffirentiates schizophrenia have been studied. Patients have been stratified into 3 groups each treated during 10 weeks. Patients of the 1st group (20) received haloperidol in combination with nifedipine, 2nd group (21 patients) received haloperidol and 3rd group (21) were treated with quetiapine. Effectiveness of therapy was assessed by PANSS, CGI and a battery of neuropsychological tests including the scale of cognitive functions. The total effectiveness of the combination of haloperidol with nifedipine did not differ from that of the monotherapy with haloperidol though was some more effective relatively to negative symptoms. The positive effect of this combination on thinking and cognitive functioning was comparable to that of quetiapine.