Haloperidol improves membrane phospholipid abnormalities in temporal lobes of schizophrenic patients

Using 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy, we examined changes in the levels of phosphorus metabolites in the temporal lobes of 13 schizophrenic patients before and 12 weeks after initiating haloperidol treatment. Spectra were obtained from a volume of interest positioned in each temporal lobe. Findings were compared with those in 13 age- and gender-matched healthy subjects. Prior to treatment the patients showed higher levels of phosphodiesters (PDE) in both temporal lobes than healthy subjects. Haloperidol administration significantly reduced the excess of PDE in the left temporal lobe, although the PDE concentration remained somewhat higher bilaterally than in controls. Treatment was associated with a decline in the total symptom score according to the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale and the score for positive symptoms showed a relatively high correlation with reduction in PDE level in the left temporal lobe. These preliminary results suggest that haloperidol may partially normalize disturbed metabolism or abnormalities in components of membrane phospholipids in the left temporal lobe of untreated schizophrenic patients, paralleling symptom alleviation.