Section - Quick Takes

01. Chlorpromazine as a Potential Antipsychotic Choice in COVID-19 Treatment

Published on May 1, 2021 Expired on April 1, 2024

James Phelps, M.D.

Research Editor - Psychopharmacology Institute

Key Points

Although consideration of chlorpromazine to help treat COVID-19 infection is based on good experimental data, the rationale is based on basic lab studies, not published clinical experience. Two randomized trials were announced but may have stalled.

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Unless you’re as old as I am, you may never have prescribed chlorpromazine, the first of the first-generation antipsychotics . But all of a sudden, here it is again, being examined in this review by Muric et al. and several other groups as a potential treatment for COVID-19. What’s the deal?

Hi, Jim Phelps here for the Psychopharmacology Institute. Chlorpromazine was originally developed by a team looking for an antimalarial agent. Its downsides—such as sedation, orthostasis, and anticholinergic effects—have caused it to largely disappear from regular use, but it appears that chlorpromazine might have some benefits in treating COVID-19 infections. What’s known comes from lab experiments or observation in uninfected people taking chlorpromazine, not from experience in patients with COVID-19 or even other viral infections. On the other hand, the data are remarkably extensive. It turns out that chlorpromazine has immunomodulatory and direct antiviral effects. In the immune system, 9

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02. Effects of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy on Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Learning Objectives:

After completing this activity, the learner will be able to:

Examine the rationale and data behind the consideration of chlorpromazine for the treatment of patients with COVID-19 infection.
Assess the clinical implications of strong positive results from a randomized trial of psilocybin in patients with major depressive disorder.
Broaden the view of “what’s different about someone’s brain when they’re depressed” to include recent research on the “functional connectome.”
Examine new data on the efficacy of antidepressants in the treatment of bipolar depression.
Compare the mortality rates of patients with COVID-19 who also have psychotic, mood, or anxiety disorders vs a reference population.

Original Release Date: 05/01/2021

Review Date: 03/01/2024

Expiration Date: 04/01/2024

Relevant Financial Disclosures:

The following planners, faculty, and reviewers have the following relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose:

Dr. Phelps has disclosed the following relationships:

McGraw-Hill: book on bipolar disorder
W.W. Norton & Co.: books on bipolar disorder

All of the relevant financial relationships listed for these individuals have been mitigated.

Contact Information: For questions regarding the content or access to this activity, contact us at support@psychopharmacologyinstitute.com

Instructions for Participation and Credit:

Participants must complete the activity online during the valid credit period that is noted above.

Follow these steps to earn CME credit:

View the required educational content provided on this course page.
Complete the Post Activity Evaluation for providing the necessary feedback for continuing accreditation purposes and for the development of future activities. NOTE: Completing the Post Activity Evaluation after the quiz is required to receive the earned credit.
Download your certificate.