Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effect of apomorphine on schizophrenic symptoms

  • Short Communications
  • Published:
Journal of Neural Transmission Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

The effects of apomorphine on psychotic symptoms were evaluated in chronic schizophrenic patients using double-blind placebo controlled procedures. Although on the basis of dopamine theory of schizophrenia, apomorphine was expected to increase schizophrenic symptoms, in this study apomorphine substantially reduced psychotic symptoms in some chronic schizophrenic patients. No patient showed the substantial increase in psychotic symptoms previously demonstrated after the administration of IV methylphenidate. These clinical effects of apomorphine in schizophrenia may be relevant to recent pharmacological research which has indicated that apomorphine also has potent effects on presynaptic dopamine neurons, in addition to its previously described postsynaptic receptor stimulation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Andén, N.-E., Rubenson, A., Fuxe, K., Hökfelt, T.: Evidence for dopamine receptor stimulation by apomorphine. J. Pharm. Pharmacol.14, 627 to 629 (1968).

    Google Scholar 

  • Aghajanian, G. K., Bunney, B. S.: Central dopaminergic neurons: Neurophysiological identification and responses to drugs. In: Frontiers of Catecholamine Research, pp. 643–648. New York. 1973.

  • Angrist, B. M., Shopsin, B., Gershon, S.: Comparative psychotomimetic effects of stereoisomers of amphetamine. Nature234, 152–153 (1971).

    Google Scholar 

  • Astrachan, B. M., Harrow, M., Adler, D., Brauer, L., Schwartz, A., Schwartz, C., Tucker, G.: A checklist for the diagnosis of schizophrenia. Brit. J. Psychiat.121, 529–539 (1972).

    Google Scholar 

  • Carlsson, A.: Receptor mediated control of dopamine metabolism. In: Pre- and Post-Synaptic Receptors, pp. 49–66. New York. 1975 a.

  • Carlsson, A.: Monaminergic mechanisms in basal ganglia. Paper presented before 55th annual meeting of the Association for Research in Nervous and Mental Diseases, New York (1975 b).

  • Carlsson, A., Perrson, T., Roos, B.-E., Wålinder, J.: Potentiation of phenothiazines byα-methylparatyrosine in treatment of chronic schizophrenia. J. Neural Transmission33, 83–90 (1972).

    Google Scholar 

  • Ernst, A. M.: Mode of action of apomorphine and amphetamine in gnawing convulsion in rats. Psychopharmacologia (Berl.)10, 316–323 (1967).

    Google Scholar 

  • Janowsky, D. S., El-Yousef, M. K., Davis, M. M., Sekerke, H. J.: Provocation of schizophrenic symptoms with methylphenidate. Arch. Gen. Psychiat.28, 185–191 (1973).

    Google Scholar 

  • Janowsky, D. S., Davis, J. M.: Methylphenidate, dextroamphetamine, and levafetamine. Arch. Gen. Psychiat.33, 304–308 (1976).

    Google Scholar 

  • Rubovits, R., Klawens, H.: Implications of amphetamine-induced stereotyped behavior as a model for tardive dyskinesias. Arch. Gen. Psychiat.27, 502–507 (1972).

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, R. C., Tamminga, C., Harasziti, J., Garver, D., Davis, J. M.: Effects of dopamine receptor agonists and antagonists in tardive dyskinesia. Paper presented at 129th annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association, Miami, Florida (1976).

  • Snyder, S. H.: Catecholamines in the brain as mediators of amphetamine psychosis. Arch. Gen. Psychiat.27, 169–179 (1972).

    Google Scholar 

  • Spitzer, R. L., Endicott, J., Robins, E., Kuriansky, J., Gurland, B.: Preliminary report of the reliability of research diagnostic criteria applied to psychiatric case records. In: Predictability in psychopharmacology: Preclinical and clinical correlations, pp. 1–48. New York. 1975.

  • Tolosa, E. S., Sparber, S. B.: Apomorphine in Huntington's chorea: Clinical observations and theoretical considerations. Life Sci.15, 1371–1380 (1975).

    Google Scholar 

  • Walters, J. R., Bunney, B. S., Roth, R. H.: Piribedil and apomorphine: Pre- and post-synaptic effects of dopamine synthesis and neurological activity. In: Advances in Neurology, Vol. 9 (Crane, D. B., et al., eds.), pp. 273–284. New York: Raven Press. 1975.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. R. C. Smith

    Present address: Texas Research Institute of Mental Sciences, Houston, Texas

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, University of Chicago, USA

    C. Tamminga & J. M. Davis

  2. Illinois State Psychiatric Institute, USA

    J. M. Davis

Authors
  1. R. C. Smith
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. C. Tamminga
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. J. M. Davis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

This work was begun when all authors were associated with the Illinois State Psychiatric Institute.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Smith, R.C., Tamminga, C. & Davis, J.M. Effect of apomorphine on schizophrenic symptoms. J. Neural Transmission 40, 171–176 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01250567

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01250567

Keywords

Search

Navigation