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Prediction of changes in memory performance by plasma homovanillic acid levels in clozapine-treated patients with schizophrenia

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Abstract

Rationale

Cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia has been demonstrated to be dependent, in part, on dopaminergic activity. Clozapine has been found to improve some domains of cognition, including verbal memory, in patients with schizophrenia.

Objectives

This study tested the hypothesis that plasma homovanillic acid (pHVA) levels, a peripheral measure of central dopaminergic activity, would predict the change in memory performance in patients with schizophrenia treated with clozapine.

Methods

Twenty-seven male patients with schizophrenia received clozapine treatment for 6 weeks. Verbal list learning (VLL)-Delayed Recall (VLL-DR), a test of secondary verbal memory, was administered before and after clozapine treatment. Blood samples to measure pHVA levels were collected at baseline.

Results

Baseline pHVA levels were negatively correlated with change in performance on VLL-DR; the lower baseline pHVA level was associated with greater improvement in performance on VLL-DR during treatment with clozapine. Baseline pHVA levels in subjects who showed improvement in verbal memory during clozapine treatment (n=13) were significantly lower than those in subjects whose memory performance did not improve (n=14).

Conclusions

The results of this study indicate that baseline pHVA levels predict the ability of clozapine to improve memory performance in patients with schizophrenia.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by a Fellowship and a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (No. 16591126) from the Ministry of Education and Science of Japan, a Pharmacopsychiatry Research Grant from the Mitsubishi Pharma Research Foundation, and a Young Investigator Award from NARSAD to Dr. T. Sumiyoshi, as well as grants from the Warren Foundation, Mr. and Mrs Donald Test Jr, and Pharmacia to Dr. H.Y. Meltzer. We are grateful to Dr. Mitsuru Hasegawa and Mr. Jin Dai for technical assitance.

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  1. Tomiki Sumiyoshi

    Present address: Department of Neuropsychiatry, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University School of Medicine, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama, 930-0194, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tenn., USA

    Tomiki Sumiyoshi, A. Roy, C.-H. Kim, K. Jayathilake, M. A. Lee, C. Sumiyoshi & H. Y. Meltzer

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  1. Tomiki Sumiyoshi
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  2. A. Roy
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Correspondence to Tomiki Sumiyoshi.

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Sumiyoshi, T., Roy, A., Kim, CH. et al. Prediction of changes in memory performance by plasma homovanillic acid levels in clozapine-treated patients with schizophrenia. Psychopharmacology 177, 79–83 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-004-1924-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-004-1924-5

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