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Medicated chronic schizophrenic patients do not demonstrate left turning asymmetry
J Levine1, T Martine, R Feraro
1Beer Sheva Mental Health Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel.
Neuropsychobiology
|January 1, 1997
Summary
Medication appears to abolish leftward turning behavior in chronic schizophrenic patients. Further research is needed to confirm these findings in diverse patient groups.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Schizophrenia is a complex psychiatric disorder associated with various neurological and behavioral alterations.
- Previous research indicated a leftward circling preference in chronic unmedicated schizophrenic patients, potentially linked to dopaminergic pathways.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of neuroleptic treatment on turning behavior in chronic schizophrenic female patients.
- To determine if amantadine, a dopaminergic agonist, affects turning asymmetry in this population.
Main Methods:
- Twenty-seven medicated chronic schizophrenic female patients were assessed for spontaneous right or left turning behavior.
- The effect of administering the dopaminergic agonist amantadine on turning preference was also evaluated.
Main Results:
- No significant right or left turning asymmetry was observed in the medicated schizophrenic patients.
- The addition of amantadine did not alter the observed turning behavior.
Conclusions:
- Neuroleptic treatment may abolish the leftward turning preference previously seen in unmedicated schizophrenic individuals.
- Further studies with heterogeneous schizophrenic patient groups are necessary to validate these findings.
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