The British Journal of Psychiatry 144: 341-348 (1984)
© 1984 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
Clinical effects of apomorphine in schizophrenia
IN Ferrier, EC Johnstone and TJ Crow
There have been reports that low doses of the dopamine-agonist apomorphine,
which may inhibit dopamine neurotransmission, are of therapeutic benefit in
schizophrenia. We conducted a placebo-controlled study of acute and chronic
schizophrenics in which videotaped interviews were blindly rated. No
specific therapeutic effect was demonstrated for apomorphine other than a
reduction in anxiety in acute schizophrenics. Furthermore, there was no
difference in the frequency of side-effects of apomorphine between
schizophrenic patients and controls, and no specific effect of apomorphine
on blink-rates. These findings emphasize the importance of
placebo-controlled studies in schizophrenia research.