Method for treating schizophrenia

Abstract

This invention provides a method for treating the symptoms of schizophrenia which comprises administering to a schizophrenic an effective amount of a compound selected from the group consisting of optically-active or racemic compounds represented by the general formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 is selected from the group consisting of organic radicals having fused rings, phenyl, pyridyl ##STR2## X is oxygen or sulfur, Y, if present, is selected from the group consisting of hydroxy, nitro, cyano, azido, amino, acylamino, carboxyamido, trifluoromethyl, sulfate, sulfonamido halogen, hydrocarbyl and hetero atom-substituted hydrocarbyl radicals, wherein said heteroatoms are selected from the group consisting of halogen, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur and phosphorus and said hydrocarbyl radicals comprise from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, and a is an integer between zero and 3. R.sub.2, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 are each selected from the group consising of H and OA, A is H or is selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbyl radicals, or ##STR3## R.sub.5 is selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbyl radicals and n is 2 or 3; with the proviso that at least one of R.sub.2, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 is H, that at least one of R.sub.2, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 is not H and that R.sub.2 and R.sub.4 are not both OA, except that when R.sub.1 is m-hydroxyphenyl, phenyl or 2-thienyl, the compound is optically-active.