Functional sites of neuroleptic drug action in the human brain: PET/FDG studies with and without haloperidol.

摘要: Objective : The functional pathways through which antipsychotic drugs act in the brain to decrease psychosis remain unknown, despite our knowledge that their site of initial action is blockade dopamine D 2 receptors. authors sought define regions are functionally altered by neuroleptic drugs. Method Regional cerebral glucose metabolism was studied 12 subjects with schizophrenia while they were receiving a fixed dose haloperidol, again 5 days after withdrawal drug, and third time 30 withdrawal. Positron emission tomography an [ 18 F]fluorodeoxyglucose tracer used within-subject design. Results analysis demonstrated caudate putamen withdrawal, indicating haloperidol treatment enhanced utilization these areas. thalamus, bilaterally but only anterior areas, showed same response haloperidol. Only frontal cortex cingulate had increased those two cortical areas depressed metabolism. In 5-day drug free scans, no differed significantly from condition, numerical changes. Conclusions: It appears inadequate escape effects on regional pattern localization changes metabolic activity between condition 30-day drug-free suggest exerts its primary antidopaminergic basal ganglia. proposed additional thalamus secondary this action, mediated classically described striato-thalamo-cortical pathways.