Methylphenidate increases thought disorder in recent onset schizophrenics, but not in normal controls

• Published in: Biological psychiatry (1969) Vol. 34; no. 8; pp. 507 - 514
• Main Authors: Levy, Deborah L., Smith, Melissa, Robinson, Delbert, Jody, Darlene, Lerner, Gail, Alvir, Jose, Geisler, Stephen H., Szymanski, Sally R., Gonzalez, Alberto, Mayerhoff, David I., Lieberman, Jeffrey A., Mendell, Nancy R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 15.10.1993; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Adult; apomorphine; Apomorphine - pharmacology; Biological and medical sciences; Brain - drug effects; Brain - physiopathology; Dopamine - physiology; Female; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; methylphenidate; Methylphenidate - pharmacology; Neuropharmacology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psychoanaleptics: cns stimulant, antidepressant agent, nootropic agent, mood stabilizer..., (alzheimer disease); Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopharmacology; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenia - physiopathology; Schizophrenic Psychology; Synaptic Transmission - drug effects; Synaptic Transmission - physiology; Thinking - drug effects; Thinking - physiology; thought disorder; Schizophrenia; methylphenidate; apomorphine; thought disorder; Human; Psychosis; Thought disorder; Cognitive disorder; CNS stimulant; Psychotropic; Dopamine agonist; Comparative study
• ISSN: 0006-3223; 1873-2402
• DOI: 10.1016/0006-3223(93)90192-G

The effects of apomorphine and methylphenidate on thought disorder, as measured by the Thought Disorder Index, in schizophrenic patients and in normal controls were evaluated. Methylphenidate, but not apomorphine, increased thought disorder in patients. Neither drug significantly increased thought disorder in controls.