Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry logoLink to Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry
. 1975 Jul;38(7):722–726. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.38.7.722

Apomorphine and psychopathology.

S Lal, C E De la Vega
PMCID: PMC1083255  PMID: 1099172

Abstract

Forty men, mainly alcoholics, were administered either the dopamine receptor agonist, apomorphine HCl (1 mg), or distilled water subcutaneously three times a day for 14 days in a double blind study. None of the subjects developed an endogenous depression or schizophrenic symptoms. Scores on the Hamilton Rating Scale, Zung Self Rating Scale, and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale showed improvement with both apomorphine and placebo. There were no significant differences between the two treatments on these rating scales. A significant incidence of spontaneous penile erections occurred after apomorphine treatment compared with placebo. Both treatments eliminated subjective craving for alcohol. Acute administration of apomorphine had no effect on psychomotor retardation or depressed mood in two patients with endogenous depression.

Full text

PDF
726

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Andén N. E., Rubenson A., Fuxe K., Hökfelt T. Evidence for dopamine receptor stimulation by apomorphine. J Pharm Pharmacol. 1967 Sep;19(9):627–629. doi: 10.1111/j.2042-7158.1967.tb09604.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Angrist B., Sathananthan G., Gershon S. Behavioral effects of L-dopa in schizophrenic patients. Psychopharmacologia. 1973 Jul 4;31(1):1–12. doi: 10.1007/BF00429294. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Cherington M. Parkinsonism, L-dopa and mental depression. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1970 Jul;18(7):513–516. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1970.tb02784.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cotzias G. C., Papavasiliou P. S., Fehling C., Kaufman B., Mena I. Similarities between neurologic effects of L-dipa and of apomorphine. N Engl J Med. 1970 Jan 1;282(1):31–33. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197001012820107. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. EHRINGER H., HORNYKIEWICZ O. [Distribution of noradrenaline and dopamine (3-hydroxytyramine) in the human brain and their behavior in diseases of the extrapyramidal system]. Klin Wochenschr. 1960 Dec 15;38:1236–1239. doi: 10.1007/BF01485901. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Ernst A. M. Mode of action of apomorphine and dexamphetamine on gnawing compulsion in rats. Psychopharmacologia. 1967;10(4):316–323. doi: 10.1007/BF00403900. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Goodwin F. K., Dunner D. L., Gershon E. S. The effect of L-DOPA treatment on brain serotonin metabolism in depressed patients. Life Sci I. 1971 Jul 1;10(13):751–759. doi: 10.1016/0024-3205(71)90119-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Goodwin F. K., Murphy D. L., Brodie H. K., Bunney W. E., Jr L-DOPA, catecholamines, and behavior: a clinical and biochemical study in depressed patients. Biol Psychiatry. 1970 Oct;2(4):341–366. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Goodwin F. K. Psychiatric side effects of levodopa in man. JAMA. 1971 Dec 27;218(13):1915–1920. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. HAMILTON M. A rating scale for depression. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1960 Feb;23:56–62. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.23.1.56. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. ISAACS B., MACARTHUR J. G. Influence of chlorpromazine and promethazine on vomiting induced with apomorphine in man. Lancet. 1954 Sep 18;267(6838):570–572. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(54)90352-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Jenkins R. B., Groh R. H. Mental symptoms in Parkinsonian patients treated with L-dopa. Lancet. 1970 Jul 25;2(7665):177–179. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(70)92535-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Korf J., van Praag H. M. Retarded depression and the dopamine metabolism. Psychopharmacologia. 1971;19(2):199–203. doi: 10.1007/BF00402643. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Lal S., Sourkes T. L., Missala K., Belendiuk G. Effects of aporphine and emetine alkaloids on central dopaminergic mechanisms in rats. Eur J Pharmacol. 1972 Oct;20(1):71–79. doi: 10.1016/0014-2999(72)90217-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Mowbray R. M. The Hamilton Rating Scale for depression: a factor analysis. Psychol Med. 1972 Aug;2(3):272–280. doi: 10.1017/s0033291700042574. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Murphy D. L., Brodie H. K., Goodwin F. K., Bunney W. E., Jr Regular induction of hypomania by L-dopa in "bipolar" manic-depressive patients. Nature. 1971 Jan 8;229(5280):135–136. doi: 10.1038/229135a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Roos B. E. Decrease in homovanillic acid as evidence for dopamine receptor stimulation by apomorphine in the neostriatum of the rat. J Pharm Pharmacol. 1969 Apr;21(4):263–264. doi: 10.1111/j.2042-7158.1969.tb08243.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Schlatter E. K., Lal S. Treatment of alcoholism with Dent's oral apomorphine method. Q J Stud Alcohol. 1972 Jun;33(2):430–436. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Tagliamonte A., Tagliamonte P., Perez-Cruet J., Stern S., Gessa G. L. Effect of psychotropic drugs on tryptophan concentration in the rat brain. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1971 Jun;177(3):475–480. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Yaryura-Tobias J. A., Diamond B., Merlis S. The action of L-dopa on schizophrenic patients (a preliminary report). Curr Ther Res Clin Exp. 1970 Aug;12(8):528–531. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. ZUNG W. W. A SELF-RATING DEPRESSION SCALE. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1965 Jan;12:63–70. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1965.01720310065008. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Zung W. W. Evaluating treatment methods for depressive disorders. Am J Psychiatry. 1968 May;124(11 Suppl):40–48. doi: 10.1176/ajp.124.11S.40. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES