Left hemisphere hyperactivity in schizophrenia: Abnormality inherent to psychosis or neuroleptic side-effects?
✍ Scribed by Rachel Tomer; Matti Mintz; Michael S. Myslobodsky
- Publisher
- Springer
- Year
- 1982
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 303 KB
- Volume
- 77
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0033-3158
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
Studies measuring reflective lateral eye movements (LEM) in schizophrenic patients revealed predominance of rightward LEMS, which was interpreted as suggesting left hemisphere overactivation in schizophrenia. In the present study LEM behaviour of medicated schizophrenics was compared to that of non-medicated patients. Rightward LEMs were predominant in a group of patients treated with phenothiazines with piperazine side chains, whereas among schizophrenics treated with non-piperazine drugs leftward LEMs were more predominant. This finding suggests that previous reports on LEM directionality in schizophrenia may have been confounded by neuroleptic medication. The possible effect of piperazine derivatives on hemispheric balance is discussed.