OBJECTIVE: Schizophrenia may be associated with hyperthermic syndromes such as febrile catatonia, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, and heatstroke. The authors hypothesized that an exercise-heat tolerance test would disclose abnormal thermoregulation in schizophrenic patients. METHOD: Seven male schizophrenic outpatients in remission maintained on depot antipsychotic treatment and eight healthy comparison subjects completed a heat tolerance test that consisted of two 50-minute bouts of walking a motor-driven treadmill at 40xC (relative humidity=40%). RESULTS: A significantly higher rise in rectal and skin temperatures was observed in the patient group. No differences in heart rate, blood pressure, or perspiration were detected. CONCLUSIONS: Schizophrenic patients maintained on antipsychotic drugs exhibit impaired heat tolerance. Possible explanations are a reduced ability to convey heat from the body's core to the periphery with or without excessive heat production. The hyperthermic response to the heat tolerance test may reflect a dysfunction associated with schizophrenia, a neuroleptic-induced side effect, or both.
OBJECTIVE:Schizophrenia may be associated with hyperthermic syndromes such as febrile catatonia, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, and heatstroke. The authors hypothesized that an exercise-heat tolerance test would disclose abnormal thermoregulation in schizophrenicpatients. METHOD: Seven male schizophrenic outpatients in remission maintained on depot antipsychotic treatment and eight healthy comparison subjects completed a heat tolerance test that consisted of two 50-minute bouts of walking a motor-driven treadmill at 40xC (relative humidity=40%). RESULTS: A significantly higher rise in rectal and skin temperatures was observed in the patient group. No differences in heart rate, blood pressure, or perspiration were detected. CONCLUSIONS:Schizophrenicpatients maintained on antipsychotic drugs exhibit impaired heat tolerance. Possible explanations are a reduced ability to convey heat from the body's core to the periphery with or without excessive heat production. The hyperthermic response to the heat tolerance test may reflect a dysfunction associated with schizophrenia, a neuroleptic-induced side effect, or both.
Authors: Elizabeth B Torres; Robert W Isenhower; Jillian Nguyen; Caroline Whyatt; John I Nurnberger; Jorge V Jose; Steven M Silverstein; Thomas V Papathomas; Jacob Sage; Jonathan Cole Journal: Front Neurol Date: 2016-02-02 Impact factor: 4.003
Authors: Gregor E Berger; Stefan Smesny; Miriam R Schäfer; Berko Milleit; Kerstin Langbein; Uta-Christina Hipler; Christine Milleit; Claudia M Klier; Monika Schlögelhofer; Magdalena Holub; Ingrid Holzer; Michael Berk; Patrick D McGorry; Heinrich Sauer; G Paul Amminger Journal: PLoS One Date: 2016-02-19 Impact factor: 3.240