SELECTIVE ABNORMALITIES OF PREFRONTAL SEROTONERGIC RECEPTORS IN SCHIZOPHRENIA - A POSTMORTEM STUDY

Background: This study investigates serotonergic receptors in prefront al cortex of patients with schizophrenia. Methods: We measured seroton in2 receptors and serotonin uptake sites in prefrontal and occipital c ortex of schizophrenics, patients with chronic schizoaffective disorde rs, nonpsychotic suicides, and controls. Diagnoses were established ac cording to DSM-III-R criteria from medical chart reviews. Results: In prefrontal cortex, serotonin, density was decreased in chronic psychot ics dying of natural causes, as opposed to psychotics dying of suicide , controls, and nonpsychotic suicide victims. Serotonin uptake sites w ere decreased in prefrontal cortex of schizophrenics and nonpsychotic suicides, but not in patients with schizoaffective disorder. None of t he observed differences were clearly related to antemortem pharmacolog ical treatments. In the occipital pole, no differences were found amon g the groups. Conclusions: Selective prefrontal alterations of both pr esynaptic and postsynaptic serotonin receptor densities are present in at least some schizophrenic patients.