HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Vallabhajosula, S. Articles by Machac, J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Vallabhajosula, S. Articles by Machac, J.

Effect of Haloperidol Dose on Iodine-123-IBZM Brain SPECT Imaging in Schizophrenic Patients

Departments of Radiology and Psychiatry, The Mount Sinai Medical Center and Bronx VA Medical Center, New York, New York

Correspondence: For correspondence or reprints contact: Shankar Vallabhajosula, PhD, Associate Professor of Radiology, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY 10029.

ABSTRACT

Studies have suggested that antipsychotic drug therapy with haloperidol in schizophrenic patients requires an optimal dose that blocks the brain dopamine D2 receptors. We evaluated the effect of different doses of haloperidol on D2 receptor occupancy in schizophrenia. Methods: Three normal subjects and three patients with acute schizophrenia had serial brain SPECT imaging studies (every 5 min) for 3 hr following the injection of [¹²³I] IBZM. The patients had IBZM studies off medication and at different doses (1–10 mg) of haloperidol. Results: The basal ganglia (BG) were well visualized in normals and in schizophrenics off medication. After haloperidol therapy, SPECT images showed qualitatively diminished activity in the basal ganglia. ROIs were drawn over the basal ganglia and cerebellum (CE). The results were expressed as BG/CE ratios. At 2 hr postinjection of IBZM, the mean BG/CE ratio in normals was 1.75 ± 0.025. In schizophrenics, the BG/CE ratio off medication was 1.54 ± 0.12. The BG/CE ratio showed an inverse relationship to haloperidol dose; 1.46 at 1 mg, 1.25 at 4 mg and 1.05 at 10 mg, respectively. Conclusion: These results demonstrate that IBZM brain SPECT imaging studies are potentially useful to relate the antipsythotic drug D2 receptor occupancy with the administered dose in schizophrenic patients and may ultimately help optimize antipsychotic treatment.

Key Words: iodine-123-IBZM • receptor imaging • schizophrenia