Abstract
Ten patients with schizophrenia participated in 120-min free-smoking sessions when actively psychotic and free of antipsychotic medications, and again after the initiation of haloperidol treatment. During these free-smoking sessions they had access to cigarettes ad libitum. Their expired air carbon monoxide (CO) and plasma nicotine and cotinine levels were measured at the end of the 120-min free-smoking sessions. These patients smoked more after starting haloperidol treatment, relative to their baseline rate of smoking when free of antipsychotic medications, as evidenced by significantly higher expired CO and plasma nicotine levels.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Acri JB, Morse DE, Popke EJ, Grunberg NE (1994) Nicotine increases sensory gating measured as inhibition of the acoustic startle reflex. Psychopharmacology 114:369–374
Adler LE, Hoffer LD, Wiser A, Freedman R (1993) Normalization of auditory physiology by cigarette smoking in schizophrenic patients. Am J Psychiatry 150:1856–1861
Fibiger HC, Phillips AG (1986) Reward, motivation, cognition: psychobiology of mesotelencephalic dopamine systems. In: Bloom FE (ed) Handbook of physiology, section I: the central nervous system. William & Wilkins, Baltimore, pp 647–675
Hughes JR, Hatsukami DK, Mitchell JE, Dahlgren LA (1986) Prevalence of smoking among psychiatric outpatients. Am J Psychiatry 143:993–997
Le Houezec J, Benowitz NL (1991) Basic and clinical psychopharmacology of nicotine. Clin Chest Med 12:681–699
McEvoy JP, Hogarty GE, Steingard S (1991) Optimal dose of neuroleptic in acute schizophrenia. Arch Gen Psychiatry 48:739–745
McEvoy JP, Freudenreich O, McGee M, VanderZwaag C, Levin ED, Rose JE (1995) Clozapine decreases smoking in patients with chronic schizophrenia. Biol Psychiatry (in press)
Svensson TH, Grenhoff J, Engberg G (1990) Effect of nicotine on dynamic function of brain catecholamine neurons. In: The biology of nicotine dependence (Ciba Foundation Symposium 152). Wiley, Chichester, pp 169–185
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This work was supported by grant no. DA-08434 from the National Institute of Drug Abuse (Dr. McEvoy)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
McEvoy, J.P., Freudenreich, O., Levin, E.D. et al. Haloperidol increases smoking in patients with schizophrenia. Psychopharmacology 119, 124–126 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02246063
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02246063