γ-Type Endorphins and Schizophrenia-Reply

Abstract

—We certainly welcome the additional data provided here supporting the antipsychotic efficacy of DTγE. The authors report that their experience of late, contrary to the initial suspicions, suggests that this endorphin fragment is most efficacious in persons in early schizophrenia who have had short neuroleptic histories. Indeed, the patients we described who were given DTγE were schizophrenics with chronic but active (in no way residual) psychotic symptoms. All of these DTγE-treated patients had previously responded to standard-dose neuroleptic treatment, although they were untreated at the time of DTγE administration. The schizophrenic population defined by Verhoeven et al as responders to DTγE treatment, schizophrenics with psychotic symptoms and drug treatment of short duration, may fall into the new<i>DSMIII</i>category of schizophreniform psychosis. Confirmation of these findings with DTγE, along with the new peptide fragment DEγE, from our and other research centers around the world would be ideal. We remain