Plasma homovanillic acid concentrations in catatonia

We investigated the dopamine metabolite plasma homovanillic acid (plasma HVA) levels in 37 catatonic patients on the day of admission before initial medication as well as in 17 healthy controls. In a prospective study catatonic syndrome was diagnosed according to criteria of Lohr and Wiesniwski (198...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biological psychiatry (1969) 1996-03, Vol.39 (6), p.436-443
Main Authors: Northoff, Georg, Demisch, Lothar, Wenke, Jens, Pflug, Burkhard
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Antipsychotic Agents - therapeutic use
Biological and medical sciences
Catatonia
Catatonia - blood
Catatonia - drug therapy
Cerebral Cortex - physiopathology
dopamine
Dopamine - physiology
Female
Homovanillic Acid - blood
Humans
Limbic System - physiopathology
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Miscellaneous
plasma HVA
Prospective Studies
Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Reference Values
Syndrome
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Summary:We investigated the dopamine metabolite plasma homovanillic acid (plasma HVA) levels in 37 catatonic patients on the day of admission before initial medication as well as in 17 healthy controls. In a prospective study catatonic syndrome was diagnosed according to criteria of Lohr and Wiesniwski (1987) and Rosebush et al (1990) whereas comorbid diagnosis was made by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 3rd ed, revised (DSM III/R) (APA 1987). On the day of admission blood samples were taken before initial medication. Compared to controls (80.1 ± 40.1 pmol/mL) catatonic patients showed significantly ( p = 0.0286) increased plasma HVA (140.9 ± 53.6 pmol/mL). Catatonic patients free of neuroleptic medication (n = 21) differed significantly ( p = 0.0416) from controls whereas neuroleptically treated catatonics ( n = 16) did not. Our findings of increased plasma HVA in catatonia are explained by an alteration in either mesolimbic or mesocortical dopaminergic function, as is assumed in the case of schizophrenia. As an alternative, it may be due to increased nigrostriatal function, which can lead, as shown in animal experiments with the dopamine agonist amphetamine, to hypokinetic states resembling catatonia in humans.
ISSN:0006-3223
1873-2402
DOI:10.1016/0006-3223(95)00184-0