Multidiagnostic evaluation of prolactin response to haloperidol challenge in schizophrenia: Maximal blunting in Kraepelinian patients

Abstract

We have previously reported that prolactin (PRL) responses to haloperidol 0.5 mg IV were blunted in subjects characterized by several diagnostic systems of schizophrenia compared to controls (Keks et al 1990). However, an attempt to find a diagnostic system most different from controls was unsuccessful due to inherent difficulties in the statistical analysis of multidiagnostic data. In this paper we present new methodologies. A test for differences in dependent correlations demonstrated that most of the variance in stimulated PRL was accounted for by Kraepelinian, and least by Schneiderian and M. Bleulerian, schizophrenias (p < 0.001). The main symptomatic difference between nonKraepelinian and Kraepelinian patients was the presence of association disturbance and feelings of passivity. Patients with both symptoms had a lower stimulated PRL than controls. Further findings and possible implications are discussed.