Biological studies in childhood schizophrenia: Plasma and RBC cholinesterase activity

Abstract

Most investigations of possible metabolic aberrations in childhood schizophrenia failed to demonstrate differences between schizophrenic patients and control groups. Cholinesterase activity has not been previously reported in schizophrenic children. Similar studies with adult schizophrenics have not been consistent, despite some reports of abnormal cholinesterase activity. The present study reports the results of plasma (pseudo) cholinesterase and erythrocyte (true) cholinesterase activity in 16 male childhood schizophrenic patients and 16 male nonpsychotic hospitalized control patients. No significant differences were found between the two groups. An unexpected finding of high significance was the inverse correlation between acetylcholinesterase activity of erythrocytes and serotonin uptake by platelets in both the nonschizophrenic patients and the combined groups. This negative correlation was less significant in the schizophrenic patients.