Am J Psychiatry 1984; 141:1183-1189
Copyright © 1984 by American Psychiatric Association
Secretion pattern of endogenous opioids in chronic schizophrenia
F Brambilla, F Facchinetti, F Petraglia, L Vanzulli and AR Genazzani
Baseline plasma levels of beta-endorphin, beta-lipotropin, and ACTH were
assayed in 37 patients with chronic schizophrenia: 24 men and 13 women, 28
with hebephrenic and nine with paranoid schizophrenia. None of the patients
had received any medication for at least 10 days. The mean values of both
opioids were significantly higher in the schizophrenic patients than in 21
age- and sex-matched control subjects. Insulin stimulation and
dexamethasone suppression tests were given to eight of the patients, and
the circadian rhythms of beta- endorphin, beta-lipotropin, ACTH, and
cortisol were assayed in the same eight patients. Insulin stimulation,
dexamethasone suppression test results, or circadian rhythmicity was
impaired in seven of these eight patients.
