Early neuroleptic response: clinical profiles and plasma catecholamine metabolites

Forty-seven psychotic inpatients who required neuroleptic treatment were studied with respect to some clinical and biochemical variables associated with early neuroleptic response. Compared to poor early responders, good responders were older at onset of illness and at index admission, less likely to have had a schizoid developmental history, and more likely to be married. There was a trend for good early responders to have received a diagnosis of affective psychosis or atypical psychotic disorder rather than schizophrenia or schizophreniform disorder. However, no behavioral symptom or sign differentiated good from poor early responders with the possible exception of pretreatment psychomotor retardation, which showed some association with poor response. Fasting plasma-free homovanillic acid was significantly higher in the good response group and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenethylene glycol showed a similar trend.