The British Journal of Psychiatry 148: 204-208 (1986)
© 1986 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
Effects of intravenous and subcutaneous administration of apomorphine on the clinical symptoms of chronic schizophrenics
EK Syvalahti, E Sako, M Scheinin, K Pihlajamaki and J Hietala
The effects of apomorphine, a stimulant of dopamine autoreceptors, were
studied in 12 chronic schizophrenics on neuroleptic treatment; both
subcutaneous and intravenous administration were used. Apomorphine has been
reported to have therapeutic effects in previous studies but, we were not
able to confirm any significant and specific differences in psychotic
symptoms or tardive dyskinesia scores with apomorphine administration,
compared with placebo. These results do not support the importance of
dopamine autoreceptors in the regulation of schizophrenic and dyskinetic
symptoms in chronic neuroleptic-treated patients.