FURTHER-STUDIES OF ELEVATED CEREBROSPINAL-FLUID NEURONAL CELL-ADHESION MOLECULE IN SCHIZOPHRENIA

Background: The purposes of the present study were to attempt to repli cate a previous finding of increased cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) neurona l cell adhesion molecule (N-CAM) in schizophrenia, and to assess wheth er the increases could be related to medication, clinical state effect s, or brain structural measures.Methods: CSF N-CAM was measured by the Western blot technique in 45 DSM-III-R diagnosed male schizophrenic p atients both on and off haloperidol treatment and in 20 healthy male c ontrol subjects. Results: CSF N-CAM was significantly increased in sch izophrenic patients, with no overlap in the ranges, when compared to c ontrols. There were no significant effects of medication or exacerbati on on CSF N-CAM. No associations with measures of brain structure were found. Conclusions: Because N-CAM levels were not shown to be differe nt on and off treatment or in exacerbated versus nonexacerbated patien ts, the higher levels seen in schizophrenic patients may be inherent t o the disorder and possibly related to neurodevelopment. Published 199 8 Society of Biological Psychiatry.