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Philip A. Berger, MD; Glen R. Elliott, PhD; Elizabeth Erdelyi; Stanley J. Watson, MD, PhD; Richard Jed Wyatt, MD; Jack D. Barchas, MD

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1977;34(7):808-809.

Abstract
• A case of a folate-responsive psychosis that was associated with a defect in N^5.10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (methylene reductase) suggested the need to examine whether abnormally low activity of this enzyme might be of etiological importance in schizophrenia. We now report that there were no statistically significant differences in the platelet methylene reductase activity of chronic schizophrenics, compared with either hospitalized or nonhospitalized age-matched control subjects. Although it is possible that a larger survey might reveal a subpopulation of schizophrenics who are characterized by abnormal methylene reductase activity, this study suggests that chronic schizophrenia is not generally associated with such changes.

Author Affiliations
From the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Drs Berger, Elliott, Watson, Barchas, and Ms Erdelyi), Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif, and the Laboratory of Clinical Psychopharmacology (Dr Wyatt), National Institute of Mental Health, St Elizabeth Hospital, Washington, DC.

Footnotes
Accepted for publication Aug 16, 1976.

Reprint requests to Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305 (Dr Berger).

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