Plasma Prolactin Concentrations and Psychopathology in Chronic Schizophrenia

Joel E. Kleinman, Daniel R. Weinberger, Alan D. Rogol, Llewellyn B. Bigelow, Susan T. Klein, J. Christian Gillin, Richard Jed Wyatt

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

45 Scopus citations

Abstract

Plasma prolactin concentrations in 17 drug-free chronic schizophrenic patients correlated inversely with ratings of their psychopathology. An inverse relationship between psychotic symptoms and plasma prolactin concentrations was particularly clear in patients with normal cerebral ventricular size as determined by computed tomography. The psychosis-prolactin relationship did not hold for schizophrenic patients with large ventricular size. These data suggest that the degree of psychosis is related to dopaminergic activity insofar as this is reflected by plasma prolactin concentrations, especially in schizophrenic patients with normal ventricular size. These findings lend further support to the hypothesis that ventricular size is a meaningful factor in subtyping chronic schizophrenic patients.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)655-657
Number of pages3
JournalArchives of general psychiatry
Volume39
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 1982
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
  • Psychiatry and Mental health

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