A postmortem study of frontal cortical dopamine D1 receptors in schizophrenics, psychiatric controls, and normal controls

Michael B. Knable, Thomas M. Hyde, Angela M. Murray, Mary M. Herman, Joel E. Kleinman

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

39 Scopus citations

Abstract

We tested the hypothesis that aberrant dopaminergic innervation in frontal and cingulate cortices of schizophrenic patients might be revealed by examining dopamine D1 receptor density in these brain regions. A quantitative autoradiographic assay with [3H]-SCH 23390 was performed with samples from schizophrenic patients, normal controls, neuroleptic-treated controls, and suicides. There was a significant elevation in specific binding of [3H]-SCH 23390 in the intermediate layer of the prefrontal cortex from neuroleptic-treated controls (p = .05). Elevated [3H]-SCH 23390 binding in several layers from prefrontal and cingulate cortex was observed in schizophrenic subjects, although these results did not reach statistical significance. When data from subjects who had received neuroleptics (schizophrenics and neuroleptic controls) were compared to subjects who had not received neuroleptics (normal controls and suicides), there was a significant elevation in receptor density in both the prefrontal (p = .05) and cingulate cortices (p = .03). These data suggest thet elevated [3H]-SCH 23390 binding in human prefrontal and cingulate cortices may occur with chronic neuroleptic treatment, although increased receptor density that may exist as a feature of psychotic illnesses cannot be excluded.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1191-1199
Number of pages9
JournalBiological psychiatry
Volume40
Issue number12
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 15 1996
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • D1 receptors
  • [H]-SCH 23390
  • cingulate cortex
  • dopamine
  • prefrontal cortex
  • schizophrenia

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biological Psychiatry

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