Antischizophrenic Drugs: Chronic Treatment Elevates Dopamine Receptor Binding in Brain

Abstract

Chronic treatment of rats with the neuroleptic drugs haloperidol, fluphenazine, and reserpine elicits a 20 to 25% increase in striatal dopamine receptor binding assayed with [3H]haloperidol. This increase in receptor sites may account for behavioral supersensitivity to dopamine receptor stimulants in such animals and for tardive dyskinesia in patients treated with these drugs.