Glucose Tolerance in Chronic Schizophrenia and Senile States

ABNORMAL glucose tolerance, characterized by a reduction of the tolerance to ingested sugar, has been reported in various mental disorders by a number of investigators. Diabetic-like blood sugar curves of a sustained type have been found in cases of schizophrenia, indicating a biochemical disturbance of the carbohydrate metabolism in this condition. Meduna and Vaichulis¹reported diabetic-like reaction to the Exton-Rose glucose tolerance test in about 60 per cent of unselected schizophrenic patients. In a previous study, Meduna, Gerty and Urse²demonstrated a delay in the return of the blood sugar to a normal level following infusion of a dextrose solution in all of their 20 untreated schizophrenic patients. They concluded that a disturbance of the carbohydrate metabolism existed, as indicated by a delayed utilization of blood sugar, and postulated that this disturbance might be one of the etiologic factors in schizophrenia. However, Meduna, Braceland and Vaichulis³reported