DIFFERENTIAL CHANGES IN SEROTONIN 5-HT(1A) AND 5-HT(2) RECEPTOR-BINDING IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC-SCHIZOPHRENIA

Serotonin 5-HT1A and 5-HT2 receptors were examined in the postmortem b rains of controls and patients with chronic schizophrenia. In the pref rontal cortex from patients with schizophrenia, 5-HT1A receptor bindin g was increased, while 5-HT2 receptor binding was decreased, when comp ared to controls. The increased 5-HT1A receptor binding or the decreas ed 5-HT2 receptor binding was observed in both the patients who had be en medicated with neuroleptics at time of death and those who had not, at least 2 months prior to death. Thus, abnormalities of 5-HT recepto r subtypes seem to exist in the brains of patients with chronic schizo phrenia. 5-HT related agents might be beneficial for the treatment of schizophrenia.