Resting urinary catecholamine excretion in schizophrenics: methodology and interpretation of results

Plasma and urinary catecholamines were measured in a group of schizophrenics and in normal subjects by high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. A brief procedure for urine sampling performed under standardized environmental and physical conditions was used. Plasma levels and urinary excretion rates of noradrenaline were significantly higher in schizophrenics than in a control population. When plotted for linear regression analysis, both plasma and urinary noradrenaline values were positively correlated (r = 0.75, p less than 0.05). Results reported suggest that urinary catecholamine measurement could be used for a reliable assessment of sympatho-adrenal function in schizophrenia.