SCHIZOPHRENIA - GENDER, FAMILY RISK, AND PLASMA HOMOVANILLIC-ACID

Plasma homovanillic acid concentration was assessed in 60 young schizo phrenic patients, with and without first-degree relatives with schizop hrenia, before treatment, and 3 days after starting haloperidol treatm ent, The baseline concentration of homovanillic acid in plasma was no different in the two groups before treatment; it was, however, signifi cantly higher in the patients with relatives than in those without rel atives diagnosed of schizophrenia after 3 days of haloperidol treatmen t. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.