Skip to main content
Log in

Some effects of piracetam (UCB 6215 nootropyl) on chronic schizophrenia

  • Original Investigations
  • Published:
Psychopharmacology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A study is described of effects of a nootropic drug on chronic schizophrenia. The nootropic drugs act on the central nervous system with the cerebral cortex as their target. Chronic schizophrenic patients on the drug showed improvement in object naming and in tests where the patient was required to indicate the number of times he had been tapped. Improvements were also noted in learning and memory tasks. In dichotic listening the patients showed a reduction in the amount of incorrect verbal responses produced. There were no improvements in symptom rating or social behaviour rating. These results suggest some cognitive improvement but little if any change in the disease state of the patient.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Angyal, L., Fenyvesi, T.: EEG — Verlaufsuntersuchungen an Schizophrenen unter psychiatrischer Pharmakotherapie. Psychiatr. Neurol. Med. Psychol. (Leipz.) 21, 148–151 (1969)

    Google Scholar 

  • Antonelli, F.: Therapy in psychosomatic medicine. vol. 3. Pharmacotherapeutic Tribune. Rome: Edizione L. Pozzi 1977

    Google Scholar 

  • Beaumont, J. G., Dimond, S. J.: Brain disconnection and Schizophrenia. Br. J. Psychiatry 23, 661–662 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, G. W., Bone, M., Dalison, B., Wing, J. K.: Schizophrenia and social care. Maudsley Monograph No. 17. London, Oxford University Press 1966

    Google Scholar 

  • Burešová, O., Bureš, J.: Mechanisms of interhemispheric transfer of visual information in rats. Acta Neurobiol. Exp. 33, 673–688 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • Carr, S. A.: The effects of piracetam on interhemisheric transfer and memory in chronic schizophrenics. Research project. Department of Psychology. University College Cardiff 1977

  • Dimond, S. J.: Drugs to improve learning in man. In: The neuropsychology of learning disorders, R. M. Knights, D. J. Bakker, eds., pp. 367–379. Baltimore: University Park 1976

    Google Scholar 

  • Dimond, S. J.: Introducing neuropsychology. Springfield: C. C. Thomas 1978

    Google Scholar 

  • Dimond, S. J., Brouwers, E. Y. M.: Increase in the power of human memory in normal man through the use of drugs. Psychopharmacology 49, 307–309 (1976)

    Google Scholar 

  • Fish, B., Hagin, B.: Visual motor disorders in infants at risk for schizophrenia. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 27, 594–598 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  • Flor-Henry, P.: Ictal and inter-ictal psychiatric manifestations in epilepsy. Specific or non-specific. Epilepsia 13, 773–783 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  • Green, P.: Interhemispheric transfer in schizophrenia. Research project. Department of Psychology. University College Cardiff, 1974

    Google Scholar 

  • Gruzelier, J. H., Venables, P. H.: Bimodality and lateral asymmetry of skin conductance orienting activity in schizophrenics. Biol. Psychiatr. 8, 55–73 (1974)

    Google Scholar 

  • Giurgea, C. E.: The nootropic approach to the pharmacology of the integrative action of the brain. Cond. Reflex 8, 108–115 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • Giurgea, C. E., Moyersoons, F.: Contribution a l'étude electrophysiologique et pharmacologicue de la transmission calleuse. Les syndromes de disconnexion calleuse chez l'homme. Colloque international de Lyon. F. Michel, B. Schott, eds.

  • HorKovic, G.: Lateral preference peculiarities in schizophrenics. Stud. Psychol. 14, 239–244 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  • Leff, J. P.: Maintenance therapy and schizophrenia. Br. J. Hosp. Med. 8, 377–380 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  • Lishman, W. A., McMeekan, E. R. L.: Hand preference patterns in psychiatric patients. Br. J. Psychiatry 129, 158–166 (1976)

    Google Scholar 

  • Pryce, I. G.: The selection of long-stay patients for hostels: A study of patients selected for an experimental hostel and for local authority hostels. Psychol. Med. 7, 331–343 (1977)

    Google Scholar 

  • Pryce, I. G., Gray, C.: Trial of piracetam in chronic schizophrenia. Br. J. Psychiatry 132, 205 (letter)

  • Rosenthal, R., Bigelow, L. B.: Quantitative brain measurements in chronic schizophrenia. Br. J. Psychiatry 121, 259–264 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wing, J. K.: A simple and reliable sub-classification of chronic schizophrenia. J. Ment. Sci. 107, 862–875 (1967)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wadsworth, W. V., Wells, B. W. P., Scott, R. F.: An experimental investigation of the qualitative differences between the work performance of normals and chronic schizophrenics. Psychiatr. Q. (Suppl.) 37, 325–335 (1963)

    Google Scholar 

  • Weckroth, J., Mikkonen, H.: On the effect of UCB 6215 on certain intellectual, perceptual and psychomotor performance traits of subjectively rated mental state. Communication of the 30th International Congress on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Sept. 1972. Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Dimond, S.J., Scammell, R.E., Pryce, I.G. et al. Some effects of piracetam (UCB 6215 nootropyl) on chronic schizophrenia. Psychopharmacology 64, 341–348 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00427522

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00427522

Key words

Navigation