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Monoamine Mechanisms in Chronic Schizophrenia: Post-Mortem Neurochemical Findings

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

T. J. Crow ,
H. F. Baker ,
A. J. Cross ,
M. H. Joseph ,
R. Lofthouse ,
A. Longden ,
F. Owen ,
G. J. Riley ,
V. Glover  and
W. S. Killpack
T. J. Crow
Affiliation:
Division of Psychiatry, Clinical Research Centre, Northwick Park Hospital, Watford Road, Harrow, Middlesex HA1 3UJ
H. F. Baker
Affiliation:
Division of Psychiatry, Clinical Research Centre, Northwick Park Hospital, Watford Road, Harrow, Middlesex HA1 3UJ
A. J. Cross
Affiliation:
Division of Psychiatry, Clinical Research Centre, Northwick Park Hospital, Watford Road, Harrow, Middlesex HA1 3UJ
M. H. Joseph
Affiliation:
Division of Psychiatry, Clinical Research Centre, Northwick Park Hospital, Watford Road, Harrow, Middlesex HA1 3UJ
R. Lofthouse
Affiliation:
Division of Psychiatry, Clinical Research Centre, Northwick Park Hospital, Watford Road, Harrow, Middlesex HA1 3UJ
A. Longden
Affiliation:
Division of Psychiatry, Clinical Research Centre, Northwick Park Hospital, Watford Road, Harrow, Middlesex HA1 3UJ
F. Owen
Affiliation:
Division of Psychiatry, Clinical Research Centre, Northwick Park Hospital, Watford Road, Harrow, Middlesex HA1 3UJ
G. J. Riley
Affiliation:
Division of Psychiatry, Clinical Research Centre, Northwick Park Hospital, Watford Road, Harrow, Middlesex HA1 3UJ
V. Glover
Affiliation:
Bernhard Baron Memorial Research Laboratories, Queen Charlotte's Maternity Hospital, London W6
W. S. Killpack
Affiliation:
King Edward's Memorial Hospital, Ealing, London W5
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Summary

Dopamine and its metabolites homovanillic acid and dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, noradrenaline, serotonin and its metabolite 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, and tryptophan and its metabolite kynurenine have been assayed in 9 schizophrenic and 10 control brains, together with the monoamine-related enzymes tyrosine hydroxylase monoamine oxidase, dopamine-β-hydroxylase, and catechol-o-methyltransferase. In schizophrenic brains dopamine, noradrenaline and serotonin were significantly increased in some areas of corpus striatum, but there were no significant changes in enzyme activity or monoamine metabolite concentrations in any of the brain areas examined. The findings are not consistent with theories that serotonin or noradrenaline stores are grossly depleted or noradrenaline neurones have degenerated, or that monoamine oxidase activity is abnormal, in schizophrenia, and provide no direct support for the hypothesis that dopamine neurones are overactive.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 134 , Issue 3 , March 1979 , pp. 249 - 256
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1979 

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