Psychosomatic Medicine 5:232-240 (1943)
© 1943 American Psychosomatic Society

Measurement of the Sedative Effect of Paraldehyde on Chronic Psychotic Overactivity

¹ Norwich State Hospital, Norwich, Connecticut

Each of 20 patients (ten men and ten women), residing on disturbed wards and selected because of their overactivity, was given doses of paraldehyde varying from to 4 drams.

By means of a rating scale designed for use by ward employees, the patients were rated for overactivity, talkativeness, aggressiveness, resistiveness, and tidiness.

Both the mean level of activity and the number of instances of extreme overactivity were reduced following the administration of the largest doses only (3-4 drams). Extreme aggressiveness was practically eliminated by the 4-dram dose. Only slight reductions were observed in talkativeness, and resistiveness. No changes were observed in untidiness.

The effect of morning administration of paraldehyde did not persist into the afternoon, and there was no evidence of the establishment of cumulative effect or of tolerance in the course of the 5-week experiment. Sex differences were observed but their significance could not be determined.

Paraldehyde is effective as a sedative and hypnotic, the effective sedative doses lying within the same range as the hypnotic doses (3-4 drams). Since the mechanism of sedation is not clear, the problem still remains whether there has occurred a decrease in "drive" as such, or a decrease in the ability of the motor mechanisms to execute the demands of such "drive."

This study indicates the applicability of the Norwich Rating Scale under the conditions of this investigation in measuring the effect of sedative drugs (in this case paraldehyde) on chronic psychotic overactivity.