title: Plasma homovanillic acid concentration and the severity of schizophrenic illness.
abstract: Concentrations of plasma homovanillic acid before treatment were highly correlated with global severity of illness in schizophrenic patients, both before and after treatment. In contrast, a fixed dose of haloperidol did not affect those concentrations. Thus, in patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, plasma homovanillic acid may reflect the severity of illness, but not be influenced by short-term pharmacological perturbations by neuroleptics.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000494:pharmacology; D006719:Homovanillic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010648:Phenylacetates / Q000097:blood*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D010648:Phenylacetates; D006220:Haloperidol; D006719:Homovanillic Acid