March 30, 2000

Using advanced brain imaging techniques, researchers at the University of Toronto and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) have discovered how to treat schizophrenia with lower doses of medication -- and fewer side effects.

"Our research clearly shows that we can treat schizophrenia with lower dosage levels of antipsychotic medication than was commonly thought. This research was made possible through new brain imaging technology," says Dr. Shitij Kapur, associate professor of psychiatry at U of T and deputy head of research in the schizophrenia program at CAMH who led the study published in the April issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry. "This study has major implications for the treatment of people with schizophrenia. It's now conceivable that we can help reduce the negative side effects often experienced by people being treated for schizophrenia because we can prescribe lower doses of antipsychotic medication and achieve similar treatment outcomes."

Current treatments for the mental disorder focus on blocking the transmission of dopamine, a "feel-good" chemical in the brain that helps regulate learning, memory, emotion and cognition. In order for neurotransmission to occur, the dopamine must attach to dopamine receptors on other neurons. By blocking the dopamine from reaching these receptors, the drugs are able to reduce the symptoms of schizophrenia.

Kapur and colleagues blocked different levels -- between 39 and 87 per cent -- of dopamine receptors in 22 patients, as shown by a new brain imaging technique called positron emission tomography (PET) scanning. By examining the clinical effects in these patients, the researchers found that blocking 65 per cent of the receptors was sufficient for treatment while a higher level of blockade -- over 80 per cent -- was invariably associated with side effects. According to Kapur, this data shows patients should be treated with doses that utilize this natural window bet
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Contact: Steven de Sousa
steven.desousa@utoronto.ca
416-978-5949
University of Toronto
29-Mar-2000