Bilateral skin conductance and the pupillary light-dark reflex: manipulation by chlorpromazine, haloperidol, scopolamine, and placebo

Abstract

Cholinergic blocking with scopolamine produces skin conductance orientating response (SCOR) nonresponding in normal subjects. This may be one of a number of causes for nonresponding in schizophrenic subjects. Blockade of dopamine with haloperidol produces an increase in amplitude and shortening of recovery time in the SCOR of normal subjects. This result closely resembles that of Nielsen and Petersen (1976) who found a similar pattern of responding in normal subjects who scored high on a scale of schizophrenism. These results, along with those for chlorpromazine and the pupillographic effects of the three drugs are discussed in terms of biochemical working hypotheses of schizophrenic subclassification.