Clinical Effects of Apomorphine in Schizophrenia

There have been reports that low doses of the dopamine-agonist apomorphine, which may inhibit dopamine neurotransmission, are of therapeutic benefit in schizophrenia. We conducted a placebo-controlled study of acute and chronic schizophrenics in which videotaped interviews were blindly rated. No specific therapeutic effect was demonstrated for apomorphine other than a reduction in anxiety in acute schizophrenics. Furthermore, there was no difference in the frequency of side-effects of apomorphine between schizophrenic patients and controls, and no specific effect of apomorphine on blink-rates. These findings emphasize the importance of placebo-controlled studies in schizophrenia research.