Lower corneal temperature in neuroleptic-treated vs. drug-free schizophrenia patients.
Antipsychotic drugs (APDs) can decrease core body temperature in schizophrenia patients. Core temperature may correlate with corneal temperature and thus, we hypothesized that neuroleptic-treated schizophrenia patients would display lower corneal temperature compared with drug-free patients. Corneal temperature of 12 typical APD-treated and 9 drug-free male schizophrenia patients was assessed using a FLIR thermal imaging camera. The APD-treated patients exhibited substantially and significantly lower corneal temperature compared with the drug-free patients (31.57 +/- 0.98 degrees C vs. 34.55 +/- 1.65 degrees C; p < 0.0001). Our results suggest that APDs may decrease corneal/core temperature in schizophrenia patients. The relevance of this finding to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia or to the antipsychotic effect of neuroleptics merit further investigation.
Shiloh
Roni
R
Geha Psychiatric Hospital, Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Petah Tiqva, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Bodinger
Liron
L
Katz
Nachum
N
Sigler
Maianit
M
Stryjer
Rafael
R
Hermesh
Haggai
H
Munitz
Hanan
H
Weizman
Abraham
A
D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000187:drug effects*; D003315:Cornea / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents