MONOAMINE OXIDASE ACTIVITY IN WHOLE BLOOD IN CHRONIC SCHIZOPHRENICS

Abstract

Monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity in whole blood measured by the fluorescence method was examined in 44 chronic schizophrenics meeting the DSM-III criteria (26 males, 18 females) and 27 normal controls (13 males, 14 females).In both groups the MAO activity in females was significantly higher than that in males. The MAO activity in schizophrenics was significantly reduced than that in controls. This was true even when sex differences were taken into consideration. This suggests that the reduction of MAO activity is related to the etiology of schizophrenia.Although the reduction of MAO activity in the schizophrenic group as a whole or in the female schizophrenics had no significant correlation with the clinical background factors, in the male schizophrenics it was significantly correlated with the length of their present illness, the Brief psychiatric rating scale (BPRS) total score and the BPRS negative symptoms score, suggesting that it could be an index of the chronicity of schizophrenia.