Clinical processes and central dopaminergic activity in psychotic disorders

This study examined the relationship between clinical processes in psychosis and indices of central dopaminergic activity. CSF HVA or GABA, plasma HVA, or serum prolactin did not correlate significantly with the amount of neuroleptic discontinued or the discontinuation interval in a group of psychotic patients approximately three weeks after neuroleptic discontinuation. In this group plus five other patients not recently treated with neuroleptics, the primary pattern of significant correlations was between symptoms of increased arousal and agitation and one or more HVA measure (positive) and CSF GABA (negative). Duration of illness (or drug treatment) was significantly negatively correlated with AM serum prolactin.