Hallucinogenic N-methylated indolealkylamines in the cerebrospinal fluid of psychiatric and control populations.
The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science – February 01, 1978
Source: PubMed
Summary
Patients with acute schizophrenia exhibited higher levels of dimethyltryptamine and O-methylbufotenine in their cerebrospinal fluid compared to control groups, suggesting a potential biochemical link to the illness. In this analysis involving 50 patients with schizophrenia and 30 surgical and neurological controls, the findings indicated notable differences in amine levels, although these did not achieve statistical significance. The gas-chromatographic technique employed was highly sensitive, capable of detecting substances at low picogram levels, highlighting its effectiveness for such analyses.
Abstract
The incidence and quantities of dimethyltryptamine and O-methylbufotenine were studied in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients suffering acute schizophrenic illnesses and in surgical and neurological control groups. Some schizophrenic patients have higher levels of both amines than do controls, though the differences in distribution did not reach statistical significance in the sample studied. The gas-chromatographic technique used is sensitive at the low picogram level.