Serum prolactin, psychopathology, and ventricular size in chronic schizophrenia

Previous reports have suggested an inverse relationship between serum prolactin concentrations and psychopathology in schizophrenic patients. One such study noted this relationship to be particularly robust in schizophrenic patients with normal as compared to enlarged ventricles, as determined by computed tomography (Kleinman et al., 1982). Because of the potential implications of these findings for the dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia, we reexamined this issue in 23 schizophrenic patients diagnosed according to Research Diagnostic Criteria. We could find no significant correlation between serum prolactin concentration and psychopathology assessed by either Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale or the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia, Change Form. The lack of a significant relationship was noted in patients with normal or enlarged ventricles. Possible reasons for the discrepancies between our findings and previous reports are discussed.