Blunted change in cerebral glucose utilization after haloperidol treatment in schizophrenic patients with prominent negative symptoms.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this report was to determine 1) the effects of chronic haloperidol treatment on cerebral metabolism in schizophrenic patients, 2) the relation between negative symptoms and haloperidol-induced regional changes in cerebral glucose utilization, and 3) the relation between metabolic change and clinical antipsychotic effect.


METHODS
Cerebral glucose utilization, as determined by position emission tomography (PET), was studied in 18 male schizophrenic subjects before and after chronic treatment with haloperidol at a standardized plasma level.


RESULTS
Overall, haloperidol caused a widespread decrease in absolute cerebral glucose metabolism. The cerebral metabolic response to haloperidol was blunted in patients with high pretreatment negative symptom scores.


CONCLUSIONS
Taken together with the results from a previously reported PET study of the effects of an acute amphetamine challenge (in which 14 of the current subjects participated), these data suggest that the negative symptom complex is associated with diminished cerebral response to change in dopaminergic activity. This deficit cannot be solely accounted for by structural differences.
Wolkin
A
A
Psychiatry Service, New York VA Medical Center, 10010, USA.
Sanfilipo
M
M
Duncan
E
E
Angrist
B
B
Wolf
A P
AP
Cooper
T B
TB
Brodie
J D
JD
Laska
E
E
Rotrosen
J P
JP
D000328:Adult; D000662:Amphetamines / Q000494:pharmacology; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine / Q000187:drug effects; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D000662:Amphetamines; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine; D005947:Glucose; D006220:Haloperidol