H. Hermesh et al., Heat intolerance in patients with chronic schizophrenia maintained with antipsychotic drugs, AM J PSYCHI, 157(8), 2000, pp. 1327-1329
Objective: Schizophrenia may be associated with hyperthermic syndromes such
as febrile catatonia, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, and heatstroke. The
authors hypothesized that an exercise-heat tolerance test would disclose ab
normal thermoregulation in schizophrenic patients.
Method: Seven male schizophrenic outpatients in remission maintained on dep
ot antipsychotic treatment and eight healthy comparison subjects completed
a heal tolerance test that consisted of two 50-minute bouts of walking a mo
tor-driven treadmill at 40xC (relative humidity=40%).
Results: A significantly higher rise in rectal and skin temperatures was ob
served in the patient group. No differences in heart rate, blood pressure,
or perspiration were detected.
Conclusions: Schizophrenic patients maintained on antipsychotic drugs exhib
it impaired heat tolerance. Possible explanations are a reduced ability to
convey heat from the body's core to the periphery with or without excessive
heat production. The hyperthermic response to the heat tolerance test may
reflect a dysfunction associated with schizophrenia, a neuroleptic-induced
side effect, or both.