To test the dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia the authors measured
specific 3H-neuroleptic/dopamine binding sites in three dopamin-rich
regions of 59 postmortem normal human brains and 50 postmortem brains from
schizophrenic patients using 3H-haloperidol and 3H-spiperone. The binding
of 2 nM 3H-haloperidol and of 1 nM 3H-spiperone was significantly elevated
in the brains from schizophrenic patients. The brain regions from patients
who had no history of being treated with neuroleptic drugs also exhibited
significantly higher binding of the 3H- neuroleptics. These results are
compatible with the hypothesis that schizophrenia may be associated with an
overactivity of postsynaptic dopamine receptors.Abstract Teaser