Changes of Plasma Homovanillic Acid in Neuroleptic Responsive and Non-responsive Schizophrenics

Suh, Hae Sook; Kim, Chul Eung; Kang, Min Hee

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Changes in plasma homovanillic acid(HVA) were investigated in neuroleptic responsive and non-responsive schizophrenics in order to delineate parameters of dopamine regulation, which may underlie differences in neuroleptic responsivity. METHOD: Twenty newly admitted acute schizophrenic patients were treated with haloperidol for 6 weeks. HVA was sampled at baseline, 3 days after initial neuroleptic dose, and after 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 weeks of treatment. Nine patients were classified as responders in this prospective haloperidol treatment trial. They had a score of change in the BPRS total scores of 25% or greater. Eleven patients were classified as nonresponders, based on a score of changes in the BPRS total scores of less than 25%.
RESULTS
1) The age of onset in respnder was older than nonresponder. 2) There were no significant changes in plasma HVA levels in total patients during 6 weeks haloperidol treatment period, but the nonreponders had a robust decrease in HVA level from baseline to 3 days and one week after haloperidol treatment in successive comparison. 3) There were no significant correlations between plasma HVA level and total scores of BPRS.
CONCLUSIONS
This study suggested that neuroleptic non-responsive schizophrenics had a different plasma HVA concentration during haloperidol treatment but could not provide support to the idea that change in plasma HVA in response to neuroleptics can predict eventual clinical response to treatment. Further study is required in order to better characterize the changes in dopamine turnover in subgroups of schizophrenics.