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Phencyclidine-induced psychosis.

R M Allen, S J Young

The American journal of psychiatry September 1978 DOI: 10.1176/ajp.135.9.1081 (opens in new tab)

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Case series Case report Peer reviewed
Sample size 9
Population Patients with phencyclidine-induced psychosis admitted to Darnall Army Hospital
Intervention Antipsychotic medication
Duration 13-month period
Key findings Phencyclidine-induced psychosis often persisted beyond 30 days despite antipsychotic treatment, with symptoms resembling schizophrenia, leading the authors to propose PCP as a drug model for schizophrenia.

Abstract

During a 13-month period, 9 patients with phencyclidine-induced psychosis were admitted to Darnall Army Hospital. They exhibited hostility agitation, and tangentiality and had delusions of influence and religious grandiosity. Six subjects reported auditory hallucinations, and 4 were disoriented in at least 1 sphere. Despite treatment with antipsychotic medication, the psychotic episodes often persisted for more than 30 days. Our clinical finding of prolonged psychotic reactions, together with previous reports of the effects of phencyclidine, suggests that phenycyclidine provides an intriguing drug model for schizophrenia.