Effectiveness of hemodialysis in chronic schizophrenic patients: a double-blind study.

Twenty-four chronic schizophrenic patients were treated with active or sham hemodialysis in a double-blind, randomized-group design. Treatment outcomes, as measured by the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (version PD), are presented. Patients in both active and sham conditions responded to the dialysis process. The research design may have prevented the separation of these groups of responders. Further research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of hemodialysis on a selected group of schizophrenic patients.