Biochemical Disturbances in Mental Disorders

This paper is a report of the first phase of a research problem based on the assumption that in the insulin and the convulsive treatment of schizophrenia there are certain trends in the mode of action which are common to both and have been defined clearly enough to form a basis for further investigations. The experiments here reported were undertaken to test the assumption that one of the accompaniments, and possibly a basic factor, of schizophrenia may be a disturbance of the carbohydrate metabolism acting antagonistically, in a measure, to the normal carbohydrate metabolism. REPORT OF INVESTIGATION The first part of this work was done in cooperation with Dr. B. Rohny, of Budapest, Hungary. Three methods were followed in investigating the diabetogenic action of the anterior lobe of the hypophysis. 1. The effect of Hoffman's "carbohydrate metabolism hormone" was determined. The method is as follows: The patient is first given