[Pathophysiologic regulatory mechanisms in chronic schizophrenia]

Two collectives of chronic schizophrenics were psychometrically rated by means of the BPRS and of Gebhardt's primary AMP-scales. Their scores of coexistent Positive and Negative Symptomatology were correlated with equivalents of catecholergic levels of tone as represented by plasma tyrosine concentration in its role as the catecholergic precursor. Levels of catecholergic tone state- and time-dependently correlated directly with Positive and inversely with Negative Symptomatology. Opposite ends of catecholergic tone from supra- to subnormal ranges ran parallel to a psychometric continuum from predominant Positive to predominant Negative Symptomatology, to a diagnostic continuum from "paranoid" to "disorganised/hebephrenic", and to a global metabolic continuum from under- to overweight. Findings did not support the hypothesis on psychotogenic dopaminergic supersensitivity. Postulated was a primary psychotogenic process of denervation or/and degeneration of a specific 'trigger system', and supersensitivity-induced neuronal damage was conjectured the biological substrate of Negative Symptomatology. A pathophysiological hypothesis put forth, corresponded with Cannon's Rules within the frame of functional neuronal plasticity.