EXTRACTION OF PSYCHOTROPIC-DRUGS FROM HUMAN SCALP HAIR

A comparison of techniques for the extraction of antidepressant and an tipsychotic drugs in human scalp hair is described. Human scalp hair w as obtained from cadavers known to be taking psychotropic drugs prior to their death. Following a washing step, hair was either solubilized in sodium hydroxide, or treated with dilute hydrochloric acid, methano l or subtilisin. Digests were treated with a solvent and the extracted drugs quantified by high performance liquid chromatography. The alkal ine digestion procedure was found to be significantly more effective ( P < 0.01) in recovering a range of antidepressant and antipsychotic dr ugs from hair than either the acidic, methanolic or enzymatic treatmen ts.