The authors determined the platelet MAO activity of 57 psychotic
patients after a placebo period and after 3-65 days of neuroleptic
treatment. Platelet MAO activity significantly decreased in both men and
women after neuroleptic treatment. The platelet MAO activity of
neuroleptic-treated schizophrenic women was significantly less than that of
drug-free schizophrenic women, who did not differ from normal women. There
were trends in the same direction for the schizophrenic men. Previous
studies that reported lower platelet MAO activity in neuroleptic-treated
schizophrenic patients than in normal controls may have been influenced by
this neuroleptic effect.Abstract Teaser