NEUROCHEMICAL VARIABLES IN SCHIZOPHRENIC-PATIENTS DURING SWITCHING FROM NEUROLEPTICS TO CLOZAPINE

1. The study aimed to search for the effect of clozapine on the levels of the main metabolites of dopamine homovanillic acid (HVA), serotoni n 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) and norepinephrine 3-methoxy-4-h ydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) in urine als well as on plasma levels of HVA , 5-HIAA, prolactin (PRL) and cortisol. 2. Seventeen male patients dia gnosed as suffering from DSM-IIIR schizophrenia completed the study. 3 . The patients were switched from classical antipsychotics to clozapin e. After six weeks treatment with clozapine the severity of psychopath ology (total BPRS score) decreased significantly (p=0.00004). pHVA and -5-HIAA did not change significantly. uMHPG increased significantly ( p=0.017). Both PRL and cortisol levels decreased significantly (p=0.00 02, p=0.032 respectively). Patients with high HVA levels in both plasm a and urine at baseline had a lower BPRS score at the end of treatment period (p=0.0001, p=0.049 respectively).