This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Reply to article  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

William M. Glazer, MD; Dennis S. Charney, MD; George R. Heninger, MD

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1987;44(10):898-904.

Abstract
• Yohimbine, an ²-adrenergic receptor antagonist that increases noradrenergic function, was administered to 16 healthy subjects and 18 drug-free schizophrenic patients with (n =10) and without (n =8) tardive dyskinesia (TD). Outcome measures of this double-blind, placebo-controlled study included changes in behavior, plasma 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) level, blood pressure, and heart rate. A subgroup of six patients experienced a notable dysphoric arousal reaction that occurred 60 to 90 minutes following administration of 20 mg of yohimbine, this reaction was not observed in healthy subjects. The schizophrenic group as a whole (not the subgroup) showed a statistical trend toward a greater yohimbine-induced increase in plasma MHPG level and systolic sitting blood pressure. The patients with TD did not differ from those without TD or from healthy controls in their response to yohimbine. These results do not support the hypothesis that noradrenergic dysfunction plays a strong central role in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia or TD. However, further studies of noradrenergic dysfunction in subgroups of patients with schizophrenia are indicated.

Author Affiliations
From the Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit and Tardive Dyskinesia Clinic, Connecticut Mental Health Center, and the Department of Psychiatry, Yale University of Medicine, New Haven, Conn.

Footnotes
Accepted for publication June 15, 1987.

Reprint requests to the Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 34 Park St, New Haven, CT 06508 (Dr Glazer).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Neuroimaging findings in post-traumatic stress disorder: Systematic review
HULL
Br. J. Psychiatry 2002;181:102-110.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Positron Emission Tomography Measurement of Cerebral Metabolic Correlates of Yohimbine Administration in Combat-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Bremner et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1997;54:246-254.
ABSTRACT  

m-Chlorophenylpiperazine Effects in Neuroleptic-Free Schizophrenic Patients: Evidence Implicating Serotonergic Systems in the Positive Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Krystal et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1993;50:624-635.
ABSTRACT  

Abnormal Noradrenergic Function in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Southwick et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1993;50:266-274.
ABSTRACT  

Acute exacerbation of psychosis with buspirone?
Pantelis and Barnes
J Psychopharmacol 1993;7:295-300.
ABSTRACT