Effects of haloperidol and nomifensine on the visual aftereffects of tilt and movement.

An antipsychotic and two antidepressant drugs were studied for their effects on the visual aftereffects of tilt and movement in normal volunteers. Compared with placebo, haloperidol reduced the aftereffects. The antidepressant nomifensine enhanced the tilt but not the movement aftereffect, while maprotiline (another antidepressant) had no significant effect on either aftereffect. Control experiments showed that these changes were unlikely to have resulted from drug induced alterations in scanning eye movements during adaptation. The results are discussed with reference to possible dopaminergic influences on the visual system, and to some of the symptoms of schizophrenia.