title: A comparison of plasma homovanillic acid in the deficit and nondeficit subtypes of schizophrenia.
abstract: Plasma homovanillic acid (pHVA) was measured over a 13 hr-period in 16 DMS-III-R schizophrenic patients, all treated with neuroleptic drugs and in a stable clinical and therapeutic status for the preceeding 12 months. Patients were categorized into deficit (n = 9) and nondeficit (n = 7) forms of schizophrenia according to the Schedule for the Deficit Syndrome (SDS) criteria. As compared to the nondeficit group, deficit patients display significantly lower mean pHVA concentrations from 9 AM to 12 AM and a lack of diurnal variations. None of the demographic, clinical, and therapeutic variables can explain these biological differences. These data suggest a specific biochemical basis for the deficit syndrome of schizophrenia as defined by the SDS criteria, that is, primary, enduring, negative symptoms.
authors.affiliation: University of Rouen, Centre Hospitalier du Rouvray, Sotteville les Rouen, France.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ribeyre
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lesieur
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Varoquaux
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dollfus
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pays
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Petit
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006719:Homovanillic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology
chemical_list: D006719:Homovanillic Acid