Biological studies on the effects of some therapeutic procedures used in psychiatry

The glucose, lactate, and pyruvate levels, the lactate/pyruvate ratio and pH were studied in serum and CSF of patients with schizophrenia, reactive psychosis, symptomatic or circular psychosis under the effect of atropine coma, ES and pentetrazole convulsions, tranquilizer treatment and combined therapy. Convulsive therapy caused a disorder in cerebral carbohydrate metabolism while no similar changes were induced by atropine coma. Anaerobic carbohydrate metabolism was stimulated by combined therapy. This treatment had the best effect and the changes caused by it were slighter than in the case of convulsive therapy. The changes in EEG frequency corresponded to the biochemical changes.